


College Days

by Irishfae



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, I totally forgot that was part of the story, I'm probably missing things, Lots of drinking, M/M, Marijuana, Mile High Club, Mr and Mrs Barton's A+ parenting, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Wedding, brief mention of physical and emotional abuse, not Trowa or Quatre, some smoking, someone has amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 99,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27807532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irishfae/pseuds/Irishfae
Summary: A stranger shows up on Sanc University's campus and Quatre can't seem to stay away.A 3&4 get together story.
Relationships: Chang Wufei/Zechs Merquise, Dorothy Catalonia/Relena Peacecraft, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Lucrezia Noin/Hilde Schbeiker, Sally Po/omc, Treize Khushrenada/Lady Une, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner
Kudos: 7





	1. The Officers

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FF.net starting in 2007. I'm moving everything, unedited, I still like here in the hopes it will motivate me to finish and post new things (none of which are GW related)  
> I have some vague notes about an overhaul and several drafts in my google drive, but I last looked at it in 2011 and can't for the life of me remember what I was doing. So, this is a direct copy of what I put up on FF.net unedited. If I can sort out all my old files, I might go back and fix it. My apologies if anything seems overly off.

(Quatre's PoV)

I look up from my desk to the large clock on the drab, beige concrete wall. "Shit." I say loudly hoping to get the attentions of the president and vice-president who are making out on our couch. I look over at them and sigh as they continue devouring each other without bothering to look up.

With my best pathetic look, I glance over to where my friend and LGBTQ+ student advisor, Chang Wufei, sits. He rolls his eyes and glares at the oblivious couple. "Yuy, Maxwell! Uncouple yourselves! We have a meeting to get to!" He shouts at the two boys who continue to grope each other.

Duo looks at Wufei with a predatory grin that always serves to unnerve me. "Whatcha afraid of Wuffie?"

"I'm not afraid of anything Maxwell, except for the integrity and purity of our couch." I can see that there is faint amusement dancing in Wufei's dark eyes, but I doubt that either of the boys on the couch can see it.

"Too late Chang." Heero Yuy admits before returning his attention back to Duo.

Wufei hisses something in Chinese that I don't quite catch and I feel myself making a 'ewww' face. "Zechs, we need a new couch." Chang grumbles and I turn and see that our faculty advisor and Undergraduate Dean of Students had walked in while I was distracted.

Zechs gives me a mischievous smile and walks over to Wufei. He puts his hands on the desk and leans over, causing his long platinum blond hair to fall over his shoulder and pool on the desk. He whispers something into Wufei's ear that causes the man to turn bright red. I have an idea of what the blond just said, but I decide to keep my mouth shut.

He stands looks at me and winks then turns his attention to the boys "Come on you two." He walks behind the couch, lowers himself, then stands, bringing the furniture with him and dumping Heero and Duo on the floor. "Time to make yourselves presentable. We have a group to promote." He places the couch back down and returns to Wufei's desk. Heero clambers off of Duo and shoots Zechs a dirty look which causes the blond to chuckle and shake his head. "Be respectful and next time I won't dump you both on the floor."

^v^ ^v^ ^v^

At this point, I feel the need to explain some things before I continue. I am Quatre Winner and the treasurer of Sanc University's LGBTQ+ group. Heero Yuy is our usually stoic president and star of the swim and rugby teams. He's tall and lean with the Prussian blue eyes that could either stop you cold or make you fall in love. Heero's gorgeous in this 'I'm an axe murderer' sort of way. On top of it all, he's half German and half Japanese, which means that he has an exotic look to him that seems to drive both sexes crazy.

The boy Heero had been making out with is our Vice-President Duo Maxwell and Heero's boyfriend for the last five and a half years. And where Heero is gorgeous, Duo is beautiful. The man has an ethereal beauty about him. Maybe it is the long plait of chestnut hair that reaches the back of his calves, or maybe the sweet innocent face with natural purple/blue eyes. He stands even in height with Heero and is built much the same way, though Duo uses his physical finesse for track & field and cross country running.

He's a flirt, especially with the girls, but I know that he does it on purpose because he and Heero have only come out to their close friends. Still, if a person was observant they would notice the thin matching silver rings on their ring fingers. Even at meetings where their relationship would be more than accepted by the people attending, they keep it professional at all times. Though, I have caught them on occasion playing footsies or holding hands when they thought no one was looking.

Wufei Chang is a Doctoral candidate and student advisor for the group. Wufei was a university freshman when he met Zechs, who was then in his senior year. Like his name implies Wufei is Chinese, standing about half a foot shorter than his partner, with sleek black hair he likes to keep pulled into a tight ponytail and dark eyes that appear black in most light. He is also quite handsome and athletically inclined, as he was the captain of the mixed martial arts team and one of Sanc's top fencers.

Then there is Zechs Marquise, otherwise known as Milliardo Peacecraft, the Crown Prince of Sanc. As I have already mentioned he's the Undergraduate Dean of Students and the LGBTQ+ faculty advisor. Somehow he also finds time to be the faculty advisor to both the equestrian and fencing teams—he was the captain of both when he was still a student— as well as a dressage instructor. The man, like Duo, is beautiful. Tall with a lithe frame and chiseled features, he is everything you would expect a prince to be. But the truly impressive bit about him is the long platinum blond hair that falls to the small of his back and the intense bright blue eyes that stand out against his pale hair and skin.

As you see, I'm surrounded by beautiful gay men in committed relationships. Not that I'm a horse's ass mind you, I'm just the only single one. I'm about Wufei's height with a mop of golden blond hair, which is just the right length to be constantly falling into my eyes. I am half English and half Middle Eastern, though, in actuality, I don't have any features that would link me to my Middle East heritage. Blond hair, brilliant turquoise eyes and smooth pale skin. Yeah, like I said, I don't look like I am of mixed nationalities.

While my friends are more inclined to participate in sports, I'm much more interested in music. This year, I made drum major for the marching band, prior to that I marched with the flute. When I am not doing things with the marching band, I'm sitting first chair violin for the orchestra and standing in the tenor section of the choir. I also, somehow, got wrangled into being the president of the drama club, which I find both fun and stressful at the same time.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Duo and Heero stand up, face each other, and begin tidying the other up. They really are cute. I watch them kiss once more before they turn into respectable, no nonsense adults. The kiss is long and sweet, yet blissfully innocent, and I feel the pangs in my heart as the jealously I try so hard to hide from my friends surfaces. I haven't had what my friends have in so long, and it is the only thing I wish I did have. I want to be in love like them and be loved like that in return. I want someone to look at me and want me, body and soul, and every attempt since my first boyfriend has been disastrous. I'd rather be alone then have to go through those ordeals again.

"So are you two still pretending you aren't dating?" Zechs asks the couple with the shiny silver rings.

"To public knowledge, no." Heero responds not taking his eyes off of Duo. Zechs frowns and I involuntarily shiver at the possessive look in Heero's eyes. I am going to be really amazed if they manage to make it through the introductory meeting without making some show of affection for each other. Heero is an extremely private person and does not like sharing information which he considers 'personal,' and his relationship with Duo falls into that private and personal category.

There are times when I know that Duo wants nothing more than to be able to take Heero's hand in public, but for the simple reason that Duo is head over heels in love, he does as Heero wishes.

I see an emotion flit in Duo's eyes at Heero's words and he looks like he is about to say something but elects to stay quiet.

"Very well." Zechs nods and crosses his arms and I can tell by the tone of his words and his body language he isn't thrilled with the answer. "Business as usual." He looks around the room. "Anyone know if Hilde will be joining us today? I haven't seen her floating around campus yet."

Duo speaks up. "She helping Relena, Dorothy, and Catherine move into their suite. They should be meeting us at the student center."

Zechs chuckles. "I pray they don't kill each other during the school year."

There is a loud thud, which turns out to be Wufei's head hitting the desk. "You let your sister convince you into letting them room together?" He groans and I hold back a chuckle. "I do not want them calling us in the middle of the night crying that they had a fight. I had enough of that shit during the summer. Why do women have to be so obnoxious?"

Zechs tilts Wufei's chin up and kisses him gently.

"I'd be worried if you were straight my love. But not all women are obnoxious."

"I know that." He snaps. "I was married to a woman." The Chinese man sets his jaw and pouts.

"You're cute. You know that?" Zechs says as he nuzzles his boyfriend's neck.

"Fuck you Peacecraft, back off." He pushes his lover away and not only do I stifle a laugh, but Heero and Duo do as well.

Zechs, on the other hand, openly chuckles. "Oh, I'm hurt." He replies overly dramatic and walks around the desk and pulls the pouting man into his arms, kissing him soundly. "Come on sexy, let's go." He grasps the hand of the slightly breathless Wufei. "I'll meet you boys there." He winks in my direction and walks out, hand in hand with his boyfriend.

"Do you guys have your stuff and the flyers and what not?" I look at Heero and Duo who are still fiddling with each other's hair and clothes.

"On my desk." Duo notes and looks at the stack of papers topped off by two black binders with rainbow stickers on their spines.

"Ok. I'll see you guys there. I've got Hilde's stuff." With that, I stand, push my chair in and walk out of the office leaving Heero and Duo behind, hoping that they will be on time.


	2. The Meeting

The walk from the small building that houses the offices for all the student groups on campus to the student center is a lovely one, especially in the evenings. Summer is coming to an end here in Sanc and the air is heady with the scents of the later summer flowers. I love it here and on days like these, I understand why Zechs never left to go to school somewhere else.

Classes start next week and students started arriving last week so they could get into their dorms, organize and catch up on things that they have to do without out the stress of classes to attend. Most of the clubs and organizations hold their first meeting of the year during this week and ours is no different.

We also have another reason for why we try to start things up before the semester officially begins; it gives those students who are shy and unsure an established support system before school gets into full swing. Despite the fact that Sanc law considers marriage to be the union of two consenting adults no matter the gender combination, some still hold onto the old ways of thought and pick on those of us who 'aren't normal.' So we're there for everyone, from those who still hide in their closet, to those, like me, who don't have anything to hide, but can still benefit from emotional support by those who are understanding and caring.

I'm not saying that everyone who attends falls into the LGBTQ+ category, because they don't. We have a decent amount of 'straight' people who attend for various reasons. Some are there to support family members, other are there because they simply believe that they can help make a difference by setting a non-biased example. Though, sometimes, you get people who show up to cause problems, but that's why a faculty member always shows up. It stops a lot of problems before they start.

Overall, Sanc University is a wonderfully liberal and amazing school that only accepts the best. A person has to submit test scores, school records, and essays and then if they think you fit by all that criteria, you get to interview with the Deans. If you survive that, and they like you, then you're on your way to receiving one of the best educations you can receive anywhere in the world.

My feet carry me to our usual meeting room in the student center, and I see that there are already a fair amount of people mingling about. If this is any indication, we may have a busy year ahead of us. I see Wufei and Zechs standing in the corner talking to Hilde and I walk over.

Hilde Schbeiker is our secretary and events coordinator, as well as our token female. Not like we had planned it like that, she was the only one, aside from myself, who could put up with Heero. Hilde's cute, petite, and German. When I first met her, back in high school, she had beautiful long blue/black hair to go with her light blue eyes, but then she outed herself at Graduation and chopped off all her hair. A week later she confessed to us that she was seeing our history teacher Lucrezia Noin. Noin coincidentally happens to be the ex-girlfriend and childhood best friend of Zechs.

"Are Yuy and Maxwell on their way?" Zechs asks when he sees me enter the room.

"I think so. They were gathering their things up when I left." Everyone smirks and nods knowing that there is a high possibility that they might be late to arrive. "Here Hilde." I hand her things over.

"Thanks Quatre." She beams at me. She really is cute and has this tendency to be happy most of the time, thus being around her is usually a very comfortable and happy time.

"How is moving going?" I ask as Wufei and Zechs begin to move off to a different part of the room. More than likely to get a feeling for how many people are going to be showing up.

She runs her hands through her bangs. "Shit Quatre. Thank goodness for Catherine or I would be going crazy. Relena and Dorothy are being manicy bitches, and they can't decide if they want to fuck or fight. It would be fine if they could make up their minds, but this back and forth crap has to stop."

"You're brave and incredibly insane to live with them. You know that, don't you?" I try my best not to laugh at the outrageous situation.

"I promised Noin I would watch Relena and make sure she doesn't get herself into too much trouble this semester. So as a favor to Noin and Zechs..." I cringe as she shouts Zechs name loud enough for him to hear. "I am acting as a babysitter when I am around."

"Lucky you." I say, feeling genuinely sorry for her.

"I may come knocking on your door from time to time to steal your couch if you don't mind." She looks at me hopefully.

"You know I don't mind. Feel free anytime." I live in an apartment on campus. It is a two bedroom and only one is occupied, the other one has a bed, but she insists on the couch for some unknown reason. I know she comes there for the quiet and to escape from the insanity of the dorms.

"Hey Heero, Duo." Hilde says looking over my shoulder and I turn around to see the two walking nonchalantly up to us.

"Hey Hil, what's up?" Duo asks as he draws her into a bear hug.

"Eh, nothing much. Just dealing with 'Lena and Dorothy all morning. I'm glad to leave that suite for a bit."

I watch Duo's face contort in what seems to be pain, but I know he's just playing. "You brave, brave woman." He squeezes her once more before letting her go. "Just let me know if you need to be kidnapped. I'm sure I can free up some time." He smiles and rolls his eyes in Heero's direction, but adheres to the 'I'm not with him in public' rule.

"You're a sweetie. Thanks."

I look around the room and see more people filing in and notice that one of our University's VPs has snuck in and is talking to Zechs and Wufei. Treize Khushrenada is looking rather nervous, which I find odd since he is always so calm and cool. But Zechs is smiling and Wufei is scowling so everything appears to be ok. The blond pats the nervous VP on the shoulder and says something that causes him to turn and leave. Despite my immense curiosity as to what brought Treize to stop by and talk to Zechs, I hold off on approaching, knowing that I will find out later.

I check my watch and notice that it is almost time to start the meeting and head up to the table containing six chairs and sit in my assigned one. The other three officers follow. Duo sits on my left with Heero and Hilde next to him respectively. The other two chairs on my right are for our advisors.

A few more stragglers enter the room and just as Wufei is about to close the doors so we can start, Relena, Dorothy, and Catherine slip in. I try not to smile as Wufei scolds them for being late and they blow him off with their usual ease and sit down. Zechs smiles and takes his little sister's arrival as the sign to start the meeting, as she has a tendency to be the last one to show up at any functions she's supposed to go to. Fashionably late she calls it.

Zechs walks from the side to the front and half sits on the table. "Good afternoon everyone." I can't see it, but I know that he just flashed the crowd one of his charming smiles. The one that makes everyone in the room melt, no matter their sexual preference. "For those of you who don't know me, I am Zechs Merquise the Undergraduate Dean of Students and the LGBTQ+ group's faculty advisor. So if any of you need someone to talk to please feel free to stop by my office. If the door is open, you are more than welcome to come in. If it is closed, then I am either not in or someone beat you to me. Oh, and if any of you out there are responsible for the anonymous letters I'm already starting to receive, please stop. Though I find it flattering, I'm very much spoken for." There is a chorus of sighs and mutters of disappointment. I see Wufei set his jaw from the side-lines, ready to take the person out who tries to make a move on his man.

Zechs makes the same announcement every year and it always strikes me as inappropriate, but he receives more love letters a day than anyone I know, with Duo coming in at a distant second. I know the letters bother 'Fei, which is the real reason Zechs makes the announcement, well that and the colossal waste they cause.

"This group is for everyone." He continues as if he hadn't stopped to make a more personal announcement. "So as long as you have an open and unprejudiced mind you are welcome here. And with that, I'll let the officers take over." He turns around and smiles at Heero. "All yours." Heero nods and takes a breath while Duo stealthily squeezes his boyfriend's thigh in support. Heero's never been a big talke,r and he still finds talking to a room full of strangers a little hard.

"I'm Heero Yuy, President. I'm a junior majoring in Computer Science and Military History." I watch him close his mouth and look at Duo, obviously not going to say anymore. I look to Duo who is smiling at Heero like a fool.

"I'm Duo Maxwell the Vice President and while Heero doesn't talk so much, I talk enough for both of us. I'm a junior as well. Majoring in engineering and comp-sci. Heero and I tied in votes for the presidency last year, but I conceded as he is far more responsible than I am. Welcome to the LGBTQ+ group. Our office is located across campus with the rest of the student organization offices. Once school is in full swing, the officers spend quite a bit of time there, so we're not all that hard to get a hold of. We're always up for new activities and functions for the group to do. We'll hand out a flyer for those who are curious what we did last year. Feel free to stop me if you see me and pick my brain. Can't promise there will be something there to pick, but I'll do my best." He snickers and looks at me. "Well enough about me, the gentlemen to my right is…"

"Quatre Winner." I finish for Duo with a smile. "I am the group's treasurer and…." And I stop mid-sentence as the door in the back opens, and I find my eyes drawn to the person who just walked in. He is tall, slender and there is something about him that just draws my attention.

"Hey Q." Duo nudges me in the side. "Ah, I think you have more to say." He chuckles and looks to the crowd. "My apologies for our treasurer here, he's got a lot on his mind lately and sometimes gets lost in his own thoughts." He nudges me again and I flash the crowd a smile.

"Sorry all. As I mentioned I am the treasurer and I too, am a junior, majoring in economics and psychology. I'm the one who gets to tell Duo whether or not we can afford any of his ideas for activities, and if we can't afford it, I get to figure out how much we need so we don't break the bank." I say, easily recovering from my rough start and lean over the table and look past Heero and Duo to Hilde, who grins.

"I'm Hilde Schbeiker the group's secretary and events coordinator. I take the meeting notes so our officers don't forget what we talked about and then I'm the one who organizes the committees to pull off whatever hair-brained idea Duo came up with that made it past Quatre." She grins and tosses a small balled up piece of paper at Duo who leans over Heero and sticks his pierced tongue out at her. "So this is really an informal gathering. Wufei…" She points to the disgruntled looking Chinese man in the back. "…is our graduate student advisor and has so wonderfully set up snacks in the back. Please help yourself and mingle. If you are interested in joining our group, I've got silly little forms to fill out so I can get all the contact data. And thanks for coming." She smiles again and everyone begins to murmur and stand up.

I stand and see Heero say something to Duo and walk over to where Zechs is standing hand in hand with Wufei. He says something to the blond and the three of them walk over to an unoccupied corner away from everyone else and stand close. Duo looks at me oddly, as if I know what his boyfriend, Wufei and Zechs are talking about. I shrug and shake my head, letting him know that I have no clue what is going on.

Duo stands next to me, nods to the man who entered while I was introducing myself and whispers in my ear. "Go over and say hello. He seems a little confused as to why he is here. Maybe you can help him." I feel my face flush a bit at his suggestion. "Go on. You want to. Stop being chicken Q."

"Fine." I hiss and make my way across the room to where the new person stands awkwardly by himself. "Hi." I squeak out. "I'm Quatre. Do you need any help?"

The person looks at me appearing to startle slightly when I speak. "Ah, Trowa. I was, ah, curious, so I stopped by."

I start to grin for some reason and then I stop. He's absolutely stunning, and I am finding it hard to tell if he even swings in my direction. Fuck, figures. But who knows, he's here for a reason so no reason not to offer friendship. "Let me know if you have any questions." He looks around in a daze, and I try to figure out what is distracting him. "I don't think I've ever seen you around, did you just transfer in?"

He looks at me and studies me for a silent moment. I have to tilt my head back just a little to look into his bright green eyes. He has this soft looking light brown hair and long bangs that shield one side of his face. I think it would make me crazy to have my hair like that, but on him it looks cute and fitting. "Yes."

Ah, a man of few words like Heero. "Well if you need anything, just let me know."

He nods and then pauses. "Um, how do I get in touch with you?"

Stupid me. "Hold on for a sec." I grin and walk back to the table and reach around a few people for the contact information paper and a pen and walk back to him. On the paper I write my cell phone number, email and instant messaging name and hand it to him. "Cell phone, email and IM name. At least one of those I have access to at all times."

He takes the paper from me and looks it over with a nod. "Thanks." He offers me a shy smile and folds the paper and puts it into his jeans pocket.

"No problem." I smile in return and we stand in awkward silence for a moment. "Do you run?" I blurt out.

He looks at me shocked and then collects his thoughts. "Yes." He stops and then adds. "In the mornings."

My heart begins to race at this. "Listen there is a group of us that goes running in the mornings. We run the cross country courses; you're welcome to join us."

Trowa looks me up and down for a moment and looks confused. "Like really run or jog?" Ah, that is why. I don't look like a runner.

"No, we really run. None of that jogging stuff, if you're up for it. We're usually run anywhere from five to seven miles. Depends on how hung over we are in the mornings." I say with a chuckle and he smiles.

"Ok. Tell me when and where and I'll be there."

"Six AM by North cafeteria. We meet there, stretch out, and run."

He closes his eyes for a moment. "The one not too far away from the apartments, right?"

"Yup, that's the one."

He nods and smiles again. "I'll be there." I see his green eyes dart to something behind me. "I think someone is trying to get your attention."

I turn around to see Duo motioning frantically for me to come over. I hold up a finger to tell him I'll be there is a moment and turn back to Trowa. "I look forward to it. Welcome to Sanc." I smile, turn and bounce off.

Duo catches my by the shoulders and looks me in the eyes. "So?"

"So what?" I give him a look.

"Do you have a date?" I look at him wide-eyed.

"No, I don't even know if he goes our way you perv." I hit in on the shoulder and he pulls me to his side. "But he's going to go running with us tomorrow."

"Oh, that's excellent. It is a start at least." I look around the room to try to find Heero so he can rescue me from his boyfriend's teasing, and I see that he is still in conversation with Zechs and Wu in the corner.

"What is he up to Duo?" He follows my eyes to the three men talking in the corner.

"I haven't a fucking clue. I thought about going over and finding out, I decided I wouldn't push the matter and wait for him to let me in on it." He shrugs. "He's done shit like this before. I just go with the flow and don't ask questions." He gives me a goofy grin. "Usually works out to my advantage anyway."

"Ehh, I really don't want to hear anymore. I have witnessed more than I want to anyway. I'm going to go sit by Hilde, at least she can control her libido." I playfully push him aside and climb up next to Hilde. I make a visual sweep around the room as if taking account of the people remaining, in actuality I search for the person who had so unexpectedly captured my thoughts and find him nowhere in the room. I sigh and reach over to help Hilde organize the stack of papers she is collecting.

We stay in the room until the only people remaining other than ourselves were Relena, Dorothy and Catherine. Zechs, Wu, and Heero finally stopped talking a few minutes ago and true to form he was back at Duo's side as soon as the conversation had ceased. The lot of us make plans to drop the paperwork back at the office and meet at the pasta place down the road from the University for dinner.

I take the rear with Catherine and Hilde, as we are the only ones lacking significant others at the moment. Catherine and I having no one and Hilde's is studying abroad for the summer for her master's degree. We talk very little, and I can sense that the three of us are in a rather melancholy state at the moment. "Hey Hilde, can you take this back for me. I'm going to go take a nap before we meet up again."

"Sure Quatre. You ok?" She holds out her hand to take my binder and the papers I had grabbed.

"Yeah. I just need a nap. I'll see you guys later." I hand over the stuff and smile weakly. "Thanks Hilde." And with that I turn without saying another word and walk off to my apartment.


	3. Dinner

"Hey Quat, wake up!" A very familiar voice cuts through my dream fogged mind.

"Mmmm, no." I drawl attempting to hold onto sleep state.

"Trowa's outside." Ok, that gets me up. I open my eyes and look into Hilde's blue eyes.

"I don't believe you."

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Fine, don't believe me. I don't care. You're still coming to dinner with us tonight."

Grumbling, I sit up and look at her. "I'm not in the mood for being around cute couples."

She puts her hand on her hip and stands there defiantly. "Oh, come on. Luce is still abroad, so I'm as good as single. Sally is going to be there too, and she isn't dating right now."

A frustrated growl escapes my lips as I run my fingers through my hair. "Yeah, but I'm the only single guy."

She leans on my bed with one hand and with her other one she trails a finger slowly from sternum to belly button. "You wanna be my date?"

My eyes go wide as she touches me, and I jump out of bed. "Hilde!" There were plenty of other things I wanted to say, but none of them come out.

"Get dressed. I don't think the restaurant will be too pleased with you showing up in boxers."

I try to give her my nastiest look, which I'll admit isn't all that nasty since I'm not actually mad at her. "I'm not going."

"I invited Trowa." She mentions casually.

"Sure you did." I storm out of my bedroom, make it half way into the living room before I realize that the door is open, and Trowa is standing on the threshold, frozen. "Fuck." I mutter under my breath, as I realize Hilde was telling the truth.

"Uh… Hi." He looks a little embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as I feel right now. I'm standing in my living room, my front door wide open, the cute guy with the gorgeous green eyes and the soft looking hair is looking at me, and all I'm wearing is a pair of blue and green tartan boxers. I'm pretty in shape, but all of the sudden I feel horribly self-conscious standing there in my underwear.

"Ah… I'll… _shit_ … Excuse me." I turn quickly and walk back into my bedroom where Hilde is still standing looking highly amused. "Get out please." The words come out like a hiss.

"You should have believed me. I can't help it that you didn't." She smirks and walks out of my room, considerately closing the door as she does so.

"Oh fuck." I run my hands through my hair. This is bad. "Allah, I walked out there in my underwear." I groan miserably and grab a clean pair of dark wash, straight leg, fitted jeans and fitted navy polo. I am going to be eating Italian so makes sense to dress in dark colors.

After dressing, I frown as the mirror reflects back a pathetic picture. My hair is all over the place and, for some reason, I feel that the outfit I had chosen looks queerer on me than usual. "Fuck." I mutter under my breath. I don't know why this bothers me all the sudden. I am gay. Proud and out. So why, all of the sudden, are the clothes that I wear all the time bothering me? Was it because of Trowa? I didn't see how it could be because of him. I met him at the LGBTQ+ meeting. I'm a fucking officer, there is probably very little doubt in his mind that a rainbow follows me everywhere I go.

There is a knock on my door, and I spin around and stare at it like it is about to bite me. Hilde sticks her head in after a few moments. "What are you still doing in your room? You're already dressed."

"Do I look gayer than usual?"

Her eyes go wide. "What the hell Quatre? You look like you always look. Now get that cute ass of yours to the bathroom and brush your teeth and hair and do what whatever else you have to do. We have to get going." She's grinning at me, and I know my insecurities are unfounded. With a sigh I follow her out of my room and go to the bathroom.

Quickly, I wash my face and run my wet hands through my hair in attempt to tame it a bit, knowing that I can't pull off the 'I just rolled out of bed' look that Heero can. After brushing everything I need to brush, I use the facilities, wash my hands, and go to join the others.

Hilde and Trowa are talking quietly at the door to the apartment, and I take a deep breath before proceeding over to them. There is no doubt that Hilde knows I am approaching, despite her back being towards me. Her body language and the feeling emanating off of her was pure amusement and at my expense.

Trowa on the other hand is watching me out from under those long bangs of his. His body language is neutral and he is giving off a jumble of emotions that I can't separate and interpret, which frustrates me because all I want to know is where I stand.

I suddenly realize that I don't have my wallet and keys, and sweep them up off the table coffee table next to me. "Ok, ready to go." I look at Hilde. "You driving or am I?"

She shrugs. "Don't care." She turns and looks at Trowa. "You wanna come with us? Or follow behind?"

He doesn't say anything for a moment, but I can see that he's thinking about it. "Would it be a problem if I came with you guys? I haven't gotten all the stuff unpacked and I can't see out of my back window. Makes me uncomfortable to drive."

"No problems." Hilde smiles at Trowa and turns to me. "We could take _the Range Rover_? More room and four doors."

I shrug. "Ok. After you guys." They both walk out of the door, and I pull the keys to the Rover off the key rack by the door and stuff them into my pocket. I take the other set of keys and follow the other two out, pausing to lock the door.

We make our way quietly down to the garage and walk to where my vehicles are parked. My SUV is parked between my BMW and Mini in the far corner of the garage and when I get into range, I use the remote to unlock the doors.

" _Sandrock_?" Trowa asks me quietly as the lights flicker.

I smile at him. "For some reason we all have names for our vehicles. One of mine is called _Sandrock_."

"One of them?" He looks at me shocked, and I forget that not everyone knows that I am Quatre Winner of Winner Enterprises.

A blush burns on my cheeks. "Ah, yeah. I'm the heir to Winner Enterprises. Luckily, my father is in no rush to hand the company over."

"You won't catch him complaining though." Hilde chimes in.

"No?" Trowa smiles and looks at me.

"I'm not quite ready to live and breathe corporations." I shrug. "Though, I'm not sure I'll ever be ready. My family is full of traditionalists and I've already put myself at odds with them to begin with, I don't know how much more I want to push it."

He nods and remains quiet, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Trowa, I'll let you have shot gun." Hilde smiles at him and heads to the driver's side back seat.

He looks a little relieved. "You sure? I'm the guest here. I can sit in the back."

"Don't worry about it. You're taller than I am, so sit in the front." I mentally cringe. Under normal circumstances, Hilde would have already claimed the front seat for herself, but my guess is that because I've shown some interest in Trowa, she's trying to get us closer.

"Ok." He slides into the passenger's seat after I am in and seated. "Would you mind stopping at a bank so I can pull some money out? I don't have enough to cover dinner."

Hilde laughs from the back seat and leans forward so her head is between the two front seats. "Don't worry about it. One of the blonds always pays."

Trowa looks at me side-ways. "It's true. Zechs and I take turns paying for dinner when we all go out." _Way to flaunt your wealth Winner_. I groan mentally, this isn't going well at all.

"You sure?" He looks uncertain. "I can pay you back for my part of the bill."

I look into those beautiful green eyes of his and smile shyly. "Really it's ok. Anyway, the place we are going is fairly inexpensive, but has wonderful food. They like us there because we aren't messy and tip extremely well."

"That, and they're allowed to say that the crown Prince and Princess of the Sanc Kingdom eat there regularly." Hilde titters from the back.

"Really?" Trowa twists and looks at her.

"Yeah. Zechs Marquise. The Undergrad Dean of Students is actually Milliardo Peacecraft and his sister, Relena, is a student here as well. She goes by Peacecraft because she likes the attention, but Milliardo goes by Zechs because he likes working in academia." I watch her explain and grin at the look of shock on Trowa's face.

"Buckle up, Hilde." I warn her as I turn the car on, forgetting that the last music I was listening to was Tori Amos and rather loudly at that. It isn't the most manly of music to listen to so I jump and rush to turn it off.

Hilde's laughing in the back and Trowa smiles at me. "I like Tori. You don't have to turn it off."

A nervous laugh leaves my lips as I switch the music back on but at a reasonable volume. I put the car in reverse and back out of my spot, throw it into drive, and leave the garage. We do not talk on the way there, rather we, comfortably I think, listen to the music.

It is about a ten minute drive there, and we pull into the parking lot the same time that Duo and Heero do. They usually aren't late for our dinners and I decide I don't want to know what caused them to lose track of the time. I pull in next to them and Hilde starts to chuckle. "I wonder what they were doing?"

"I don't want to know." I grumble getting annoyed.

"Heh, Whatever Q, I'm going to go give them a hard time." Hilde grins and slips from the car.

"Who are they?" Trowa looks at me.

"Our friends Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell."

"Duo, the one from the meeting? The one with the long hair? Right?"

I nod. "And Heero was the one sitting next to him at the meeting."

His brow furls. "They're together?"

"Yup, almost six years now." I try hard to keep the disgust out of my voice. Not that I am disgusted by them, I'm just grumpy at the world right now, and all I really want it is to fall in love and get fucked senseless, in whatever order, I don't care at the moment.

"Really? He acts more like he's with you than with the other guy." He states rather keenly.

"I've been friends with Duo since elementary school; we've been through a lot together over the years. I guess that makes it look like we're more than just good friends."

Trowa nods and I look past him and out his window. Duo's black Mazda 3 with red racing strips is still running, and I can see it vibrating with whatever music he has chosen to drive too. The music abruptly stops and Heero gets out of the driver's seat. Well, that was unexpected, he doesn't usually drive Duo's car, let alone listens to Duo's music.

There is a slightly annoyed look on his face but he's still smiling, that is until he sees Trowa sitting in the passenger's side and his smile quickly disappears and replaced by his mask of indifference. I groan mentally, things just keep getting worse.

I slide out of the car as Heero clears the area between the two vehicles and I nod for Trowa to do the same. I make sure the doors are locked and I walk around and meet my guest on the other side of the car. Heero scowls at me, shoves his hands into his pockets and walks past everyone, including Duo, into the restaurant.

"What the fuck Heero?" I hear my friend with the long chestnut hair hiss, as Heero walks by him without so much as a word or a glance. Then I hear his steel toed boot bounce off rubber and I know he's kicking his tire.

I look at Trowa and shrug. "Hopefully this isn't indicative of how the night is going to go."

Hilde looks between Duo and I with a frown. She quickly decides to hurry Trowa inside to look at the menu and leave us outside in case Duo wants to vent.

"I thought you guys were late because you were otherwise engaged." I cringe at the wise-ass tone.

"Fuck Quat. I wish. He's been all sorts of distant this past week, and he's been completely unavailable since his fucking talk with Zechs and Wu this morning. It's fucking pissing me off." He kicks his tire again. "It's like he's acting stupid macho all the sudden. And when we got home after the meeting, he fucking disappears and doesn't tell me where he's going and doesn't get home until we have to leave. Hence the reason we're late." He growls, deep and guttural.

"I'm sorry." The words leave my mouth automatically, but I am sorry. Sorry that I was jealous of them at that moment.

"Eh." He shrugs. "I knew being with 'Ro wasn't always going to be easy, I just hope he gets his shit together soon, because this is making me crazy." Duo is quiet for a moment and then his frown flips into a smile and the bouncy happy Duo is reappears. "So what is going on? I see that you brought your new boyfriend to dinner."

"See that's the problem Duo." I run my fingers through my hair. "I don't even know if he swings our way."

He chuckles and there is a warm gleam in those exotic eyes of his. "I'm not gonna say that it is definite, but I am pretty sure he does, but might not be certain of it himself. Q, I was watching him watch you and watch you he did. Kinda like the way Heero watches me when he thinks I'm not paying attention. But it is a look Trowa doesn't know he's doing, whereas 'Ro's is completely conscious. It is lusty, longing and possessive all wrapped up in an intense gaze."

"That can't possibly be true." I reply back with defiance in my voice.

"Uh huh." He chides me with a knowing grin. "Remember how Wu would look at Zechs before he realized that he liked him."

"Come on Duo, 'Fei gave Zechs a lot of looks and I can't recall one that made me think that he liked him in any way." Of all the people I know who have found their way out of their closet, Wufei's was the rockiest. It is a good thing that Zechs is a patient man or else I don't think they would have ever gotten or stayed together.

"Whatever, you're just refusing to see it because you're grumpy that he kept calling you in the middle of the night freaking out." I roll my eyes dramatically and he smiles and pulls me into a hug. "Q, don't be in a rush. And don't be jealous of Heero and me either. We're still working a lot of shit out."

I hug him back, forgetting that we're still standing by his car in front of the restaurant. "But you're in love."

"Horribly." He gives me a squeeze. "Come on, let's get inside before our boys think that we're having an affair in the parking lot and start a fight." He kisses me on the crown of my head.

"I just…" I start before Duo cuts me off.

"Patience. Remember Heero and I hated each other when we first met. It happens when you least expect it." He lets go of me and steps back. "Come on lets go eat. We'll make his royal highness pay tonight."

"I think it is my turn tonight, though." I murmur.

"Shut up Q and come inside." Duo tells me with a smirk to show that he is joking.

"I'd rather go home." I say quietly.

"I know." He leans in close and talks loud enough for only me to hear. "But there is a cute boy in there who probably only came to dinner tonight because of you. So go in there and show him how wonderful you are. Being depressed isn't going to get you anywhere."

I cannot help but smile. "Ok." He grins, spins me round so I am standing in front of him and pushes me gently towards the door. "Oi, I don't need any help. I know where the door is."

"Just making sure you don't turn around."

"I'm not going to turn around." At this point the glass door is looming over me. I sigh, push the gloom from my mind and smile. Hopefully, it doesn't look too fake. We work our way back to the annex room that we book for dinner every Wednesday night, and I notice several pairs of eyes looking at us as we enter.

The usual suspects are all there around a large circular table. There is an empty seat between Heero and Hilde and then one between Trowa and Sally. I laugh in my head at the thinly veiled attempt to put me together with Trowa, but I smile non-the-less and take my seat next to him. I watch Duo sit down next to Heero and lean in to give his boyfriend a kiss. Heero dodges the kiss and darts his eyes to Trowa and then back to Duo as if telling him that since a stranger sits at the table, they are not allowed to act like they normally do.

"Fine. I don't care." Duo growls and grabs his keys from the table. "Fuck you too Yuy." With that I watch my friend quickly storm off—braid swinging violently—to the parking lot. He jumps into his car, turns it on and jacks the music loud enough for us to hear inside and tears out of parking lot. I can feel the pain and hurt radiating from him, and I want nothing more than to stand up and punch Heero, but as all eyes turn to the current source of my ire, I know this is not the time or place to express my displeasure with him.

"Sally would you be able to bring me home? I believe I am on your way." Heero looks to Sally and asks calmly, as if his boyfriend had not just stormed out of the restaurant.

The doctor has a look on her face that is a cross between amusement and anger. "Yes, I'll give you a ride home, on the stipulation that you tell me what that was about. You can tell me in the car, I don't care, but to get home you have to tell me or you will be walking there."

We all look to Heero expectantly and he nods in consent. She shakes her head, picks up her menu and starts to peruse as if nothing had happened. Zechs stands, kisses Wufei and grabs Heero by the arm. "Come with me now." The blond Prince hisses angrily. Heero stands rather rag doll like and gets hustled out of the room by our friend.

I look over at Trowa helplessly. "I'm sorry about all this. Wednesday is usually a calm and fun night; I'm not sure where the drama came from." I look at Wufei as he snorts a bitter laugh. "I take it you know?"

"Yes, and before you ask, no, I am not telling you what is going on. That is for Heero and Duo to tell you." He takes a sip of water.

"But Duo doesn't know what is going on. He told me as much earlier." I am beginning to get frustrated.

"No, but he will. And then it will be up to either of them to let you in on it." I slam my elbows on the table and bury my head in my hands.

Sally slides a menu towards me. "Don't worry about it and figure out what you want to eat." I snatch the menu from the table and try to decide what seems appetizing.

Ten minutes later, I've still not decided on what I want to eat and keep flipping back and forth between three choices. "'Fei, can I have the keys? I'm going to bring Heero home and then I'll be back. Can you order my usual?" I glance up and see Zechs standing next to Wufei, Heero firmly in the blond's grasp.

The Chinese man looks at his boyfriend, amusement dancing in his dark eyes and stands up. "Drive safe." They share a quick kiss, and he hands his keys over to Zechs, who then turns around and hauls Heero outside to where Wufei's motorcycle is parked.

Trowa smiles and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Not your fault." His voice is gentle as he speaks. "Things happen that we can't control." His hand still rests on my shoulder and it feels like my heart skips a few beats with the innocent touch.

"Why don't you guys go somewhere else tonight? I can't see that this is going to be a fun place to be right now. Wufei and I will wait for Zechs, who will more than likely be a little grumpy when he returns. No sense in you three not having a good time. Sally suggests diplomatically. "I would suggest making your escape while you can so you can salvage the remainder of the evening."

I look between Hilde and Trowa.

"Might as well. Diner?" Hilde offers as an alternate.

"I'm ok with that, they have good food." I look to Trowa who shrugs.

"I'm new to the area, so I'm up for experiencing the local cuisine." He says with a gentle smile that makes me melt. Allah, I really wish I know which side of the fence he's on.

"Thanks Sal. We'll talk to you later." Hilde speaks for us all and stands up looking at Trowa and myself expectantly. "You got the keys Q."

I feel my cheeks flush and stand up. "I do, don't I?" I say with a small smile.

The three of us walk quietly back to my Rover and when I unlock the doors we all climb in, Hilde once again claiming the back seat. When everyone is buckled in, I pull out of the parking lot, noticing that Duo had managed to leave tire tracks in his quick escape from dinner. We are in the car for no more than five minutes, when we pull into the parking lot of a diner lit with neon blue lights.

"The Blue Mist?" Trowa asks eyeing the overly blue building.

"Yup, we've been coming here since high school. I suggest the mozzarella sticks, they are about as close to perfect as you can get, if you like that sort of thing." Hilde suggests before I can say anything.

I laugh quietly and grin at both of them already feeling the effects of being away from the drama at the group dinner. As we enter I see my favorite waitress, Bette and she beams at me. "The usual Quatre?" She asks as she hustles us to my usual booth.

"Yes, please. Oh and Bette, this is Trowa, he's new in town and will be joining us tonight."

Bette smiles pleasantly at Trowa. "Welcome Trowa, I'm Bette and if you need anything just ask." She looks at Hilde. "The same for you as well dear?"

"Wouldn't think of doing anything else." Hilde's eyes twinkle as she slides into the booth. I follow and Trowa next to me.

"What about you dear?" The waitress asks Trowa.

He looks at me confusion showing in his green eyes. "What is the usual?" He sounds unsure of himself and I cannot help but chuckle a little.

"Milkshakes. I get a black and white and Hilde gets a strawberry one. Dinner is on me since we invited you out. Feel free to order anything you want, Hilde does."

She nuzzles up to me. "Hey, I'm not going to argue if you say you're treating. And you bet your cute ass I am going to take advantage of it." She leans in front of me and winks at Trowa, causing Bette to laugh.

"So what will it be dear?"

Trowa smiles slightly. I'll go for a chocolate milkshake." Then he looks over at me. "If that is ok?"

I nudge him gently with my shoulder. "I think I mentioned that you are welcome to anything." I watch his cheeks flush slightly, and he looks at me from behind his bangs. Allah, I should have sat on the other side of Hilde. This isn't going to do anything for me save for making me do something stupid.

"Alright then. One black and white, one strawberry, and one chocolate milkshake. I'll go get those and come back for your food order."

"Thanks, Bette." I offer her the winning Winner smile, and she grins back happily as she turns in the direction of the milkshake machine. Bette is one of those diner waitresses who you either love or hate. To most of the customers she has this gruff demeanor, but to us, she the most wonderful person in the world. Most of the time, if it is slow, I ask her to join us at the table and sit around and chat. She's not all that old, probably in her mid-forties and loves her job. She says it is the good people like me and my friends that make her want come to work every day. I give her a lot of credit; I don't think I could do what she does day in and day out.

The diner turns out to be an excellent idea, and Hilde, Trowa and I take pleasure in the warm atmosphere and good food, while thoroughly enjoying the lack of drama. We talk about school things, nothing too probing. I answer his questions to the best of my ability. I can tell he's trying to figure me out. Wealth tends to be rather off-putting for those who don't have it, and the good people suffer because they think that they are being users if they befriend those that have. I can tell that it bothers him slightly. He dances around the issue and speaks very little, but I can tell he's absorbing everything and very little makes it past his watchful, enticing, emerald eyes.

When we have eaten our fill, I suggest we go home to relax, which causes Hilde to frown, while Trowa remains neutral.

"I don't want to go home." She whines.

"You said yes, silly woman." I chide her and Trowa looks at us confused.

"Hilde is rooming with three other girls. Zechs' little sister Relena and her girlfriend Dorothy as well as our token straight girl Catherine." Hilde hits my upper arm as I explain.

"Sally's straight." She adds.

"But Sally is one of the university's on-call doctors and not a student."

"You mean the woman who told us to go somewhere else for dinner is a doctor?" Trowa appears shocked and Hilde and I nod. "She looks so young."

"That's because she is. She's just graduated and wanted to do something more than just work at the hospital."

"Ah. You guys have friends in high places."

I smile. "It actually just happened that way. Odd circumstances brought us all together and we've been friends ever since. Despite high places, they are all pretty down to earth, which is nice."

He nods his head and appears to be in thought. I glance at my watch and noticing it is past midnight, I decide it is finally time to head home. I stand up and shimmy out of the booth, the other two follow suit, and before walking away from the table I leave a twenty for the tip.

With a wave, I flag Bette down and she hands me the bill. "Have a good one dears." She turns to Trowa. "It was a pleasure to meet you Trowa. I hope you enjoyed yourself."

I watch him out of the corner of my eye, and he genuinely smiles and speaks quietly. "I did. Everything was excellent. Thank you."

She nods approvingly and gives me a wink before walking away. I walk the few steps to the register and an even surlier woman rings me up, I pay and we leave.

The ride back to the apartment is a quiet one, mostly because we're full and bed sounds like a wonderful idea at the moment. I drop Hilde off in front of her dorm and finish driving to the apartments with Trowa. "Am I right in assuming that you are staying here?"

His face flushes. "Yes. I happened to have been walking down the hall to the vending machines when Hilde stopped me." He tells me as we get out of the car.

I grin. "Well if you ever need anything, feel free to come and visit. I'd say we're all able to assist, but it seems like Duo and Heero are occupied with something else for the time being."

He looks at me like he wants to say something, but hesitates and I smile sadly. "You could also be so put off by our behavior that you never want to hang out with us anymore. If that is the case, I won't take it personally."

He shakes his head. "It isn't that. I'm very grateful for the company. I just don't want my presence to cause undue strife with your friends."

I feel a smile develop at the sincerity of his words. "If you are worried about Duo and Heero, don't be. They usually work things out fairly quickly when they get over themselves and realize that whoever is really wrong, is wrong." I shake my head and shrug. "But it isn't you. The timing is just off."

He nods his head in understanding. "Thank you Quatre. I enjoyed dinner and thank you for treating. I appreciate it."

I feel my cheeks flush. "It is alright really. I really don't mind. And thanks for joining us."

He offers me a fleeting, happy grin before turning and waving to me over his shoulder as he walks out of the garage and disappears around a corner. I climb the outside stairs to my second floor apartment, reflecting on the evening chaos and I smile happily to myself. Despite the Heero/Duo drama, Trowa had been there at dinner, and for some reason, that made everything ok.

I reach to flip on the light as I enter my apartment and my hand falls short. Exhaustion smacks me upside the head before I can even flip the light on. I lock the door, though I cannot seem to remember doing so and shuffle to my room, strip to my boxers and collapse on my bed and burrow under the covers. Sleep claims me immediately.


	4. 2 AM

The scream of release that escapes my lips wakes me up. I grimace and look at my phone. Two oh eight. "Fuck." I sit up and become keenly aware of the wetness around me, sweat on the sheets and the product of one of the most intense wet dreams I've ever had in my boxers. I run my hand through my hair and get up, rip the sheets off my bed and pad over to the bathroom to clean up.

I switch on the bathroom light and start the shower, keeping it lukewarm. My face contorts in disgust as I quickly divest myself of my soiled boxers, toss them into the hamper, and step into the warm spray. Mechanically, I grab the soap and wash the evidence of my dream down the drain.

Though the water and soap relax my body, it does nothing to help my mental state and the dream begins to surface with more clarity. I could feel the ghost of touches that were never there to begin with and the look of passion in green eyes. "Oh shit." The realization that the eyes belong to Trowa both worries me and turns me on. I try to ignore the tightness in my groin and fail miserably as my will collapses, and I quickly bring myself to completion. Frustration and self-loathing cloud my mind, as I lean against the cool tile, trying to regain my composure.

I don't know how long I spend in the shower, hoping that the spray would wash away the intense feelings for the green eyed stranger that has somehow worked himself into my life. I turn off the shower, grab my towel, dry off, and wrap it around my waist. When I arrive back in my room, I grab a pair of pajama bottoms and slide them on, tossing the towel into the pile of soiled linens and put some deodorant on.

The lights in the rest of the apartment seem unnecessary as the lights from outside stream in through the windows. "I need a smoke." I mutter to myself and tread into the kitchen, open the refrigerator and pull out a zip lock baggy containing a pack of cloves. Despite the fact that I rarely smoke, the need, at this moment, is overwhelming. I snag the cheap lighter off the top of the fridge and the baggie and walk over to my sliding glass door and subsequently the balcony.

The August night is hot, humid, and not much different than the shower I just got out of. The heat doesn't bother me, being from the deserts of L3, but the humidity is the killer. Luckily, in two to three weeks, as fall approaches, it should start to get nice again. I pull a black wrapped, sweet smelling clove cigarette out of the box, and I lean on the wrought iron railing overlooking the courtyard and light up. I take a long drag and, as I exhale, I rest my head on the railing wallowing in my own patheticness.

Normally, I would be watching the people still up at this hour because I take a certain amount of joy in trying to figure out what has kept them up so late, but not tonight. Tonight I could care less. To my right I hear the sound of a glass door slide open, but I don't bother turning to see, not my business.

"Quatre?" I perk up as I hear my name being called.

"Hum?" The voice came from the same vicinity where the door had opened. I squint for a moment trying to get a better look, until I realize that it is Trowa's outline in the darkness of the balcony. "Hey Trowa."

He doesn't say anything, instead he swiftly moves across the two balconies that separate our apartments, gracefully vaulting over the foot or so gaps between them. He stands next to me, his head tilted to the side with an unreadable expression. "You smoke?" It doesn't really sound accusatory, so I hope that he's not put off by it.

"Not really. Only when life gets more intense than usual." I take another drag. "At least I don't drown in a bottle." I offer him a wistful smile.

"Good point." He agrees and leans on the railing with me.

"Want one?" I motion behind me to the small table where I had put the cloves and lighter.

"Sure." The green-eyed god shrugs and grabs a clove and the lighter. After a brief argument with the child safe crap-lighter, he has it lit. We stand together in rather comfortable silence smoking, but after a few minutes he turns to look at me. "You ok?"

His question catches me off guard. "Yeah. I just had a weird dream and woke up in a cold sweat." At least it wasn't a complete a lie.

An understanding smile caresses his lips. "I hate those, even when they are _really_ good dreams." Trowa says with a cheeky grin, which leaves little doubt that he understood completely.

I chuckle and drop the butt of my clove into a small glass bottle I tend to keep as an ashtray and reach to pull out another one. As I do so, though, I hear my phone ringing. People don't tend to call me at two-something in the morning so I quickly look at Trowa, worry now plastered on my face and bolt inside for my phone. "Be right back." I say over my shoulder.

The name on the screen tells me it is Hilde calling. "Hey? What's going on?" I try to hide the worry in my voice.

"Is Duo there?" She asks me and I can tell she's fretting too.

"No. Why? He's not home?"

"No. I don't think he went home after dinner. He just left me a message, but I was asleep and didn't catch it before it went to voicemail. Then by the time I listened to it and got outside, all that was there was an empty bottle of rum on the sidewalk. I'm thinking he's on his way over there, and I've got a horrible feeling that he may have had most of the bottle."

"Did you try calling him?" I run my free hand through my hair.

"Yes, but he didn't pick up."

" _Fuck_. This isn't good." I restate the obvious and walk back onto the balcony where Trowa still stands.

Seconds later my guest motions towards the road and points to the car moving its way down it with music blasting. "I think I recall that music from earlier."

"Hilde, he's here. I gotta go." I close the phone before she can respond and shove it at Trowa. "Do me a favor please?" I look at him, begging with my eyes and he nods. "Sally's number is in there. Can you call her and let her know we think that Duo may have consumed a bottle of rum and is now here. See if she has any suggestions. I'll be right back."

I do not wait for him to reply and run to take care of my best friend. Bolting through my apartment and out the front door, I make it to the stairs and down to ground level, as the black Mazda stalls out in the lot, taking over two spaces. A small part of me is fairly impressed that he managed to make it to a parking space at all, the other part of me wants to ring his neck for being anywhere near a car.

I make it to his driver's side door and see that he is wrestling with his seat belt. At least he was coherent enough to put it on. He languidly pushes the door open, and I step out of the way.

"Hey Q." He drawls drunkenly and I can smell the hard liquor immediately.

"Oh, Duo." I reach to help him out and after a bit of finagling, he practically pours out of the car. I help him to his feet and get him to the curb so he is out of the way. Once he safely sitting on the sidewalk, I hop into his car and park it properly in a spot, lower the windows to air and stash his CDs and stereo faceplate in the trunk.

As I make my way back to Duo, I make sure his car is locked and reach out to offer him a hand up. His head lolls to the side and he looks up at me with a sad lop-sided smile. But the traces of tears still dart his cheeks and it is obvious that he is trying to hide behind the smile. "Come on, let's get upstairs."

"Ok." He slurs and grabs onto me for support. The stairs turn out to be a horrid idea, but in my mind, the elevator at the other end of the building was way too far away to ask him to walk.

When we finally manage to make it up to my floor, I see Trowa is standing in the hallway waiting for me. Duo looks at him and then to me. "Oh God, I am sorry Q. I didn't mean to interrupt anything." He looks like he is about to start crying again.

"We were just having a smoke outside and talking. It's ok." Trowa moves to aid me with Duo and gets his arm around my friend's waist and helps me the rest of the way. "Bathroom." I say, he nods and we walk in that direction.

We sit Duo down in front of the toilet and I fetch a few towels out of the linen closet for him. "Stay there. I'll get you some water." Trowa follows me out of the bathroom and I begin to flip on lights.

I turn to him when we enter the kitchen. "You don't have to stay."

He shakes his head and looks me over. "I don't mind staying." His tone is something akin to tender.

My stomach does happy flip-flops as I smile and fight the urge to grab him and wrap my arms around him. "I'm happy that you want to stay, but this could get messy. Heero is a little odd when it comes to Duo and their relationship." Allah, Heero's timing couldn't have been worse.

Trowa eyes me. "How odd?"

I take my time to formulate how to best describe it. "Heero likes to keep a very clear line between personal and private, and he is more than a little wary of strangers. I can't guarantee he's going to be kind to you if he finds out you were here with me."

He smiles and chuckles softly. "If you want me to stay, I'll take my chances with Heero."

I nod, unable to keep the goofy smile from my lips. "Ok." Then I pause. "Would you mind stashing the wine and liquor at your place until Duo leaves? I don't want to even give him the opportunity to climb into another one bottle."

"Sure. Where do you keep everything?"

"In the bottom cabinet, closest to the fridge." I point in the general direction.

"I'll be right back. Have to go open my front door." He gives me a small smile. "Seeing as I didn't come over in the most traditional manner." Then, just as he turns, his eyes trail over my body, and for the first time since he arrived at my balcony, I am cognizant of the fact that I did not bother to put a shirt on when I got out of the shower.

My face flushes, and I know I am beet red, and I do not doubt that the rest of me is following suit. He smiles again and looks me up and down once more before returning to his apartment through my sliding glass door.

When I see Trowa disappear over the rail, I head back to the kitchen, fill a plastic cup halfway with water, return to Duo, and kneel next to him. He looks at me pathetically from underneath a blanket of sweat drenched bangs as I hand him the water. He tentatively grasps the cup and I hold onto it until I am sure he's got a good hold.

"So?" Hopefully, a little prompt will get him to open up.

"So what?" He replies grumpily and takes a sip of water.

"Well, for starters, why were you driving intoxicated? You could have killed yourself or someone else and I doubt that Zechs or Treize could get you out of trouble if you had gotten caught"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. But…" He pauses getting distracted by something or nothing. I am not sure as it seems like the alcohol is still clouding his mind pretty thoroughly.

"But?" I prompt again.

"But I didn't want to go home." He takes another sip of water.

"Because of Heero?" He nods. "Why Duo?"

"Because he's having a fucking affair." Well, that wasn't what I was expecting him to say.

"What makes you say that?" I smooth back his bangs, so I can see his face clearly.

"You saw how he was acting. He's all snuggly with the golden Prince and Chang and has been blowing me off all day." He practically snarls when he mentions Zechs and Wufei.

I watch as his violet eyes fill with held back tears and take a moment to collect my thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to help the situation without knowing what exactly Heero was up to. "I seriously doubt that Heero was having an affair with Wufei and Zechs. I mean can you seriously see Wu agreeing to share Zechs, because I sure as hell can't."

Duo snorts bitterly. "Things change." I wince as the tears start to fall down his cheeks. "Fuck Q, what am I going to do?"

I gather Duo in my arms and hold him as he cries. Trowa stands outside the door a ways and motions that he's finished his task and sits in the shadows not far from me. His presence there is comforting and provides the support I need to be strong for Duo.

"I doubt things have changed that much, so I'm pretty sure it is something else."

He looks up and me with a sniff and wipes the tears from my bare skin. "Like what Quatre? In all the years we've been dating, he still refuses to acknowledge me as his partner in public. But he had no problem getting close to mister tall, blond and sexy? That's bullshit Quat and you know it."

"I wish I had an answer Duo, but I don't."

Duo wraps his arms around me and hugs me tightly. "I love him so much Q. I don't know what I would do without him."

"I think you would be heartbroken for a while and then eventually get over it. But Duo, I really, truly believe that he isn't having an affair. I've known you and Heero for years, and I can't imagine Heero ever cheating on you."

He doesn't say anything but starts to cry harder. "Are you feeling okay enough to lie down in a bed? Or do you want me to set up the couch?"

"Stay with me." He whispers.

"Ok." I wiggle out of his grasp and walk out of the bathroom for a moment. Trowa rises as I near him. A long sigh escapes my lips. "I'm going to sleep in the guest room with Duo, at least until he falls asleep, the idea of him getting sick in my bed doesn't sit well with me." I force a smile. "I'll make my bed if you want to crash." That may have come out a little hopeful sounding, but at the moment I am so weary that it is hard to tell.

He nods with a gentle smile. "I'll stay."

"I'll be right back." I rush off to my room to throw my soiled linens into the hamper in my closet, pull out new ones and quickly make my bed. As I turn to leave my room, I see Trowa standing in my door way, silhouetted from the lights behind him. "I should call Heero and tell him I've got Duo." My voice waivers with uncertainty.

He nods. "I'm going to run back to my place and grab something to sleep in. I'll be right back."

I want to grab him and hug him for being so wonderful. I have no idea why a person who just met me this afternoon would be kind enough to help me with my love-sick, overly intoxicated friend, but I can't help but feel something towards him. Something I don't want to give a name too just yet. As I head back to the bathroom, I snag a pair of flannel bottoms for Duo to change into. "You think you can change without my help?"

He looks at me. "I should be able to." I hand him the pants. "I'll be right back." He nods and I walk out of the bathroom scanning the room for where Trowa had put my phone. Luckily, I do not have to search long because it is sitting on my dining room table.

I make the decision to call from the guest room with the door closed. The last thing I need is Duo breaking down further. I pull up Heero's number, hit send and wait.

"Duo?" Heero sounds panicky, and I cannot help but smile sadly.

"Did you bother to check your caller id before you picked up?" I try to chide him.

"Oh, Quatre." There is disappointment in his voice and gets quiet. "Is Duo there?"

I pause in answering, not sure if I want to give him the satisfaction of knowing where his boyfriend is. "Yes." I finally say.

"Is he ok?" His voice still quiet.

"Heero, he downed a bottle of rum and went out driving."

He let loose a string of curses in Japanese. "I'm going to come over and get him."

"No, you're not." I tell him firmly. "It would just make things messier than they already are. You can come by tomorrow after noon. He hasn't slept and is a wreck, and I haven't slept much either. Come by later, he'll be ok until then." I pause, and he does not say anything. "Heero, I really hope that all of this is worth it. That whatever you are up to, it is worth the emotional rollercoaster you are putting him through."

"I think it is." He says quietly. "I really hope it is." He adds hopefully.

"He thinks you're having an affair, Heero." Blunt and to the point. "You had better do whatever you are doing quickly, because you may not have a boyfriend if this keeps up."

"I know. I didn't think he would take it like he is." He mutters more to himself than me. "I'll be over after noon to bring him home"

"Ok. And I'm going to be sleeping with him in the guest bedroom to make sure he doesn't have trouble in the night. Just so you don't think we're having the affair."

"I wouldn't think that Quatre."

"Just making sure. The way things are going tonight, it is best that I tell you ahead of time."

"Thanks Quatre. I'll be over in the afternoon to get him."

"Good night Heero. I'll keep him safe."

"Good night." With that, I end the call and walk out of guest room to fetch Duo.

Trowa stands near the door and motions me over. "I talked to Sally. She said to watch him and if he looks worse than a developing hangover, call for an ambulance and then her and she'll meet us at the hospital."

I nod automatically. "Thanks for everything Trowa, I really appreciate it." He just smiles at me and I feel warm and tingly. "I'm going to get Duo and try to get some sleep."

" Let me know if you need anything." He gives me a small lopsided smile.

"Will do." I grin back and make my way to the bathroom to retrieve Duo who is leaning against the door frame in the pajama bottoms and his t-shirt, looking rather ill.

"Q, why don't you have a shirt on?" He asks groggily ,and I blush at the reminder to my lack of clothing.

"I wasn't expecting company." I shrug and offer a hand to him. Duo takes a few shaky steps and puts his hand on my shoulder for stabilization.

"Maybe I should call Heero." He muses as we walk.

"I already called him and told him you were here."

All Duo does is shake his head, and I lower him into bed. "I'll be right back." He nods wearily and curls up into a little ball on the edge of the bed. Trowa is still standing where he had been, and I tell him to get some sleep and I will too. He practically glides into my room, and I return to the guest bedroom, climb into the bed, pull the covers over Duo and myself and go to sleep.


	5. Drama (Thursday)

I wake up to Duo tossing about. I haven't a clue what time it is, but I'm glad that the drapes are keeping the light out. I'm not quite ready for cheery sunlight. Quietly, I crawl out of the bed, slip out of the room and look around. Movement in the kitchen tells me that either Trowa is awake, or someone else is meandering around my apartment. So, I move to investigate and smile happily when Trowa comes into view.

"Hi." He has a glass of water in his hand.

"Mornin'." I maneuver around him to the coffee machine on my counter.

"Afternoon, actually." He corrects me with a hint of a smile, and I feel my face flush. "About twelve fifteen."

"Heero." I whisper, and he looks at me confused. "Heero's going to be here soon."

"As lovely as the view is, you may want to put a shirt on before he arrives." He smirks.

More than my face flushes this time, and I momentarily try to figure if he was flirting with me, but this isn't the time to be in deep thought about the meaning. "That might be a good idea." I go to my room pull out a lounge-about-the-house tee shirt and return to Trowa.

"Did you sleep ok?" He asks as he begins to fill the coffee maker with water.

"As well as can be expected with a drunk and depressed individual in your bed. He didn't wake up, but I could tell he wasn't having the most pleasant of dreams." I run my hand through my hair and realize that it is all over the place. "How did you sleep?"

He laughs quietly. "Probably a little better than you." He looks around the kitchen. "Coffee and filters?"

"Cabinet to your left." I point and he opens the wooden door and removes the items he was looking for. Trowa loads the basket with a filter and ground coffee, then pauses suddenly and looks out of the kitchen in the direction of the door. I hear the door close, and I can only assume he heard it open.

"Quatre?" It is Heero.

"Kitchen." I respond turning the coffee maker on.

"Quatre, where's D… What is he doing here?" My friend points angrily to Trowa, who is wise enough to remain quiet.

"He helped me with Duo last night." It is all the explanation he needs.

Heero frowns and narrows his blue eyes. "I don't like strangers knowing my business." He says defensively.

"Then you should have fucking thought about that before you decided to act like a complete asshole and lead your boyfriend to think that you are having an affair." My voice is full of anger and frustration. "You better fix this, Heero. Now!"

Heero set his jaw firmly. "Which room?" Mid-question he turns in the direction of the bedrooms.

"Guest. He's probably still asleep." The slight nod of his head is the only thing that tells me he heard, and then he disappears into the guest bedroom and shuts the door.

I back up until I hit the wall and gently bang my head against it with my eyes closed. This day is not starting well at all. As I open my eyes, I see Trowa standing there looking at me with a very worried look in his beautiful green eyes. "Sorry about that. I'm not expecting their conversation to go well. In fact, I am pretty sure that the drama isn't done for today. I wouldn't be hurt if you decided to leave while the getting is good."

"I'll stay if you want me too." He offers with a shy smile.

My heart beats just a bit faster with his words, and I offer him a small lop-sided smile in return. "I would like that, but only if you want to. I can't ask you to stay; I'm probably not the best of company right now."

"You're fine. I want to stay." It looks like he wants to say more but does not; instead he looks around the kitchen for something.

"Whatcha looking for?" I ask just as he produces two mugs from one of the cabinets. "Do you like anything in your coffee? I have half and half, powdered creamer, sugar, and Bailey's."

Green eyes sparkle in amusement when I mention the Irish cream. "What are you having?" I know he already knows the answer to it.

"FUCK YOU HEERO! GET THE FUCK OUT!" Duo bellows from the guest room.

"I'll be having the Irish cream, thank you." I say cringing at the yelling.

"That seems like a wise choice. I will join you." He begins to pour the coffee, and I realize that all my alcohol is over at his place.

I start to chuckle and he looks at me funny. "All the alcohol is over at your apartment."

"It is, isn't it?" He chuckles. "I'll go get it." I nod and he turns to leave, but before he can get to the door, the guest bedroom opens up and Duo stands there looking horrible and still intoxicated, glaring into the room."

"Get the fuck out of here Heero!" The Japanese man slips past his love.

"[jp]Come home with me.[/jp]" Heero pleads in his native language, and I know he's falling apart.

"You're a fucking lying, cheating, asshole; there is no fucking way I am going back there."

"[jp]I swear to you Duo I'm not having an affair. I would never cheat on you.[/jp]" He begs desperately.

I quickly glance over at Trowa, and we are both frozen to our spots. I feel the despair emanating from Heero, and though my Japanese is more than a little rusty, I have no doubt that he is speaking the truth. But, I also know that Duo is not thinking any more, nothing Heero is saying will register in Duo's alcohol and emotionally clouded mind.

"Go away Heero. Get the fuck out of my fucking sight." I see him pull the thin silver band from his ring finger, and I watch the tears stream down his face. "Feel free to ignore me from now on." He shouts and throws the ring at Heero. "I've had enough of this fucking bullshit. You don't want to act like a couple in public, then fine, we're not a fucking couple anymore." He shouts through the sobs and quickly retreats into the room slamming the door behind him, leaving Heero standing there in tears.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." Heero chants in common as he stoops over to pick up the silver band where it landed at his feet. He holds it like it is the most precious thing in the world, and I suppose it is.

"Quatre." He looks at me silent tears running down his face. "[jp]Can you try to get him home tonight? He's not going to come with me. Please!" He takes the few steps to reach me and grabs my hands and hold them with a death grip, I can feel Duo's band digging into my skin. "Please Quatre, please can you bring him home. I can fix it there.[/jp]" I don't get everything he says, but enough to piece his request together.

It is at this moment that Duo opens the door looking extremely pale and runs to the bathroom. He barely makes it to the toilet before he begins to vomit. I close my eyes, collecting my thoughts. "Go home Heero. Get some rest, as it is obvious you need some. I'll bring Duo home later when he's better, but now I am going to go help him."

"[jp]But…[/jp]" Heero begins and I know what he is about to say.

"No Heero. You being here is just making things worse right now. He needs to calm down before he sees you again. And I don't think empting the remaining contents of his stomach is what I would consider calmed down." Heero knows I am right and makes to turn around. "Ok." Sadness laces the simple word and it feels like his heart is breaking in one hundred different ways, and I wish that I had a quick fix for what is going on, but only Heero knows how to fix this mess. Trowa takes the moment before Heero turns to sneak out the front door, no doubt for the alcohol that we wanted for our coffee.

"You ok driving Heero?" He nods 'yes' without stopping. "You sure? I can drive you back." I offer.

He looks over his shoulder at me, his bright cobalt eyes red from the tears that still silently slide down his face and gives me a weak smile. "I'll be ok. I have to make it home safe, so I can figure out how to get him back." Heero returns to speaking in common, but with the thick accent he had when I had met him. He shows me the thin silver band and slips it onto his finger with his own and walks out of the apartment.

My attention quickly turns to Duo and I run to the bathroom to check on him. He's kneeling in front of the toilet looking absolutely wretched. I grab a spare hand towel, wet it with lukewarm water and wring it out. I kneel next to my friend and begin to wipe the fast cooling cloth over his pale and clammy skin. Duo looks at me miserably, but the tears appear to be stopping.

"You think you are done?" He nods. "Try some water, see if that stays down." I stand and retrieve Duo's cup from the night before, empty what was left, and refill it with warm water. "Here." I hand the plastic cup to him; he grabs it with shaking hands and takes a tentative sip. After a moment of cradling the cup, he decides on another sip, this time it is a bit longer. I know we're both waiting for his stomach to rebel again but hope that it doesn't happen.

I hear Trowa return, but remain at Duo's side. "Let me know if you are good for going back to sleep."

He takes another drink of water. "I don't feel queasy anymore. I'm taking that as a good sign." His voice is raspy from throwing up. I offer him a hand up and he takes it, standing up uneasily.

"Here." I reach into the medicine cabinet and grab a brand new toothbrush. "Brush your teeth and wash your face." I open the package and hand the toothbrush to him. "I'll be waiting outside for you." I lean over and flush the toilet, which earns me a sheepish smile.

"I wasn't going to forget." He picks up the tooth paste.

"I know. I was just helping." I smile at him and walk out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me to give him some privacy.

"Want to hold off on the coffee?" Trowa asks.

"I think I'm going to get Duo to sleep some more." I rub my face with both hands.

He nods. "I'll stay if you want me to." He offers, and I just melt.

"Do you want too?" I counter.

"Yes." I want to ask him why, to see if he has some sort of angle, because right now, he seems way too good to be true. But the Heero and Duo drama is draining my ability to think rationally, and I know better than to try to deal with my own problems at the same time.

"I would like that. I'm going to be in the guest room. Feel free to crash in my bed again."

He nods and reaches out a hand just as Duo walks out of the bathroom. I offer Trowa an apologetic smile. "Sleep well." I say to him and guide Duo into the bedroom. Before I close the door, though, I look over my shoulder at the incredible beauty standing in my living room and mouth 'thank you,' before entering the room and closing the door behind me.

Duo climbs into bed and I climb in after him and lay on my back. He turns over and nestles up next to me. I know he needs a body; a substitute for Heero, to help him get some sleep. Part of me is convinced that Duo thinks that all of this is just a nightmare and he'll wake up next to his love. He drapes his right arm over my stomach and quickly falls into a restless sleep.

I lay awake for some time watching him, trying to fathom how we ended up in this situation to begin with. After a while, I am pulled from my thoughts, feeling moisture seeping through my shirt, and though it is dark in my room, I know that he is crying in his sleep." He sheds silent tears for a while and then he whispers "love 'Ro" before becoming quiet and falling into a, hopefully, dreamless sleep. I close my eyes a few moments later and let sleep take me.


	6. Looking Up

"Quatre!" Duo's voice sneaks into my consciousness.

"What is it Duo?" I drawl sleepily.

"Do you know where my ring is?"

He has got to be kidding. There is no way he does not remember what he did with it. I sigh. "You threw it at Heero when you broke up with him this afternoon."

He starts to tremble. "You mean that wasn't a dream?"

A dream? How could he have thought that was a dream? "No Duo. Not a dream." I say as patiently as I can.

He slumps a little bit on the bed and is quiet for a moment. "Do you think he believed me?" In his eyes I see that he hopes that Heero didn't.

I shift, getting onto my knees. "Knowing how drunk you were, I don't think he did. Especially since he did take your ring and put it on his finger with his own. That doesn't strike me as something one would do after breaking up with someone."

Duo nods mutely and slides off the bed. "Did I accuse him of having an affair?" He doesn't look at me.

"Yes, several times in fact. You even went as far to say that he was having an affair with Zechs _and_ Wufei."

He groans pathetically. "Did I say it to his face?"

I shrug and slide out of the bed as well. "I don't know Duo, most of the conversation took place with the door closed. I only know about the ring and the breaking up part because that took place in the living room."

"I really fucked up didn't I?"

"No. Heero fucked up. You just over-reacted and didn't talk to him about it before jumping to conclusions."

Duo groans again and shuffles out of the room. Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting. Weary, I rub my eyes with my palms a little too vigorously and pad after Duo. As my eyes begin to focus, I startle when I see Sally standing in my living room. "I think I am done having visitors today." I half-heartedly glare at the doctor. "How'd you get in doc?"

Her pale bright blue eyes shine with amusement as she looks me over. "Looks like you had one hell of a night."

"I don't want to talk about it." I run my hand through my hair in attempt to tame it. "You didn't answer my question Sal."

She chuckles. "Trowa let me in on his way out. Said something about needing a shower." Then she looks at me as if something awesome happened last night.

"No Sal, don't even think about it. I'm not in the mood." I glance about the room looking for Duo. "Where's Duo?"

"I'm assuming he's the one in the bathroom, unless you had someone else over."

"No. Just Duo and Trowa. Heero stopped by; that didn't go well, and I told him to go home."

She nods then shakes her head, her expression changing to more serious. "No, I wouldn't have thought it would."

"What are you doing here Sally? You definitely didn't come for a social call." I try to not sound tired and annoyed, but fail miserably.

"You are correct, my dear Quatre. I am actually on my way to the hospital to meet my date, and say hello to Lady."

The smile that begins to form at the mention of a date changes as I hear that Lady is in the hospital. I look at Sally with confusion and worry and she laughs lightly. "Is she ok?"

Sally cocks her head to the side. "You don't know. I could have sworn…" She lapses into thought and then looks at me as if she's had a revelation. "Oh yes. We discussed it when Zechs got back from dropping off Heero. Lady and Treize are now the proud parents of twin girls. Let me tell you how excited Treize is." The last bit drips with sarcasm.

"That must be why he looked so nervous yesterday." I muse to myself.

She shrugs. "More than likely."

Duo decides to walk out of the bathroom at this very moment. It looks like he has just gotten out of the shower and is standing there in the clothes that he arrived in last night, his long hair is plaited tightly and slung over his shoulder.

"Hey Sal." Duo says shyly, and I know he is waiting for her to unleash some choice words upon him for drinking and driving.

The doctor walks over and wraps her arms around him. "How are you doing?"

He wraps his arms around her in return, and I see the wrinkles on her shirt where he squeezes her tightly. "Pounding headache, and I have no clue what waits for me at home."

"Pounding headache is your own damn fault Maxwell. And probably what waits for you at home is a very worried Heero." She pulls back from him and looks into his eyes.

"Quatre says that I broke up with 'Ro and threw my ring at him." She raises a honey colored brow to me for confirmation.

I nod to her, confirming what Duo had said is correct. She sighs, smiles sadly at me and looks back at Duo. "You need to go home and talk to him."

"I think I accused him of having an affair with Mill and Wu." He whispers so low I can barely hear him.

Again, Sally looks at me and I nod again. She closes her eyes as if formulating what she is going to say next. "Duo. Trust me when I tell you he's not having an affair with Mill, Wufei or anyone else."

"Quatre said that too." His voice is just slightly louder. "Do you know what is going on?"

"Yes, I made Zechs tell me last night, because I wanted to know why I was being woken up at three in the morning after working to one. And though I know, I'm not saying anything."

"Fuck, why can't anyone tell me what the fuck is going on?" Duo throws his hands in the air, barely missing hitting Sally as he does so.

The honey haired blonde grabs his chin and makes him look her in the eyes. "Because Duo; it is not our place to tell you, it's Heero's."

"Is it good or bad?" Duo tries to finagle more information out of her.

"Duo, stop! Go home, act like the adults you are and work this out with your boyfriend. You guys have been together too long to let this misunderstanding destroy your relationship." I feel a presence by my side and smile knowing Trowa has returned.

"If it is a fucking misunderstanding then why was he acting so suspicious?" Due snaps.

"How the hell should I know Duo? You know him best, so if you don't know, how is anyone else supposed to? Go home and ask him yourself instead of acting like a child and hiding from your problems. You can't hide here forever. Quatre has a life too. And it sure as hell isn't dedicated to taking care of everyone when they have relationship problems. I don't want to get another call telling me that you've been driving around in the middle of the night drunk. I know you know better than that." Sally chastises him and strikes an intimidating pose, resting her hand on her hip.

"I know, I know." He hugs her again. "Thanks Sal."

She hugs him back. "You're welcome." She kisses him on the cheek. "Now go home to that sexy, gorgeous boyfriend of yours and kiss and make-up."

He gives her a half-hearted smile. "I'm hoping it goes that well."

"It will." Sally assures our friend and turns to me. "I'll see you later Quatre." She gives me a discrete wink, and I feel my face flush at the unsaid comment. "A pleasure to see you again Trowa. Hopefully, there will be a next time." She nods to him, and I watch his reaction out of the corner of my eye.

"It was a pleasure as well." He smiles gently and offers a small bow.

She looks at me with a happy, knowing grin as if to say, 'Ooooh! I like him.' "All right gentlemen, I will be off. Have a good remainder of the night. And Duo, remain calm." She gives him a stern, but not overly serious, look.

"I'll try." He mutters and shuffles his feet a bit. She laughs softly and leaves my apartment. Duo waits until Sally is gone and looks at me with sad violet eyes. "Where did you put my keys Q? I should be getting home."

Hum, where the hell did I put them? I look around my apartment and see them hanging on the rack by the door with my other keys. I don't remember putting them there. "By the door. I opened the windows because it didn't smell so good, and I put valuables into the trunk."

Duo blushes slightly. "Thanks Quatre. I didn't mean to be an asshole."

I laugh. "Thank me by going home and fixing things with Heero."

He offers me a large grin, and I know he is trying to prepare himself for whatever conversation he and Heero are going to have. "Aye, Aye Sir." He mock salutes me and grabs his keys as he trots out of the door, shutting it as he does so.

I stare at the door for a bit and then take a few steps to the couch, sink into it and look over my shoulder to Trowa with a smile. "You want anything to eat. I'm starving."

He walks over to the couch and sits down next to me. "Sure."

"You craving anything?"

He shrugs noncommittally. "Nothing particularly. What's good around here?"

"I was thinking either Chinese or Pizza."

"Chinese sounds good. Haven't had it in a while."

For some reason my energy seems to be renewing itself, and I jump to my feet. "Excellent. Let me get a menu." Grabbing a menu off of the refrigerator, I return to the sofa and non-to-gracefully flop back down. He watches me with a quirk of a smile on his lips, and I all the sudden really want to know what he is thinking. "Here. Everything is really good." I hand the menu over to him and he begins to look it over.

Reclining back, it is my turn to watch him. He's changed into a pair of jeans and a black, deliciously form-fitting t-shirt, that shows off the fit body hidden beneath it just enough to make you oh so curious about what exactly it hides. But before those musings take me places I shouldn't go, I tell my hormones to shut up and behave in a civilized fashion.

"Oh, by the way." He turns to me suddenly and holds out his hand. "I know we sort of did this yesterday at the meeting, but I was a little overwhelmed so I want to do it properly." He grins. "Hi. I'm Trowa Barton, junior, majoring in civil engineering and minoring in sociology, which if I remember correctly is one of your majors."

I grasp his hand in a firm shake and feel it would be awkward to reintroduce myself. "You remember correctly." I cannot help but grin like an idiot. "Thank you again for all the help with Duo. I'm not really sure what I can do to repay the gesture."

Trowa chuckles softly. "Really, you don't have to repay me at all." I give him the look that means I'm not going to take that as the answer. "But dinner works." He adds hastily.

Then I remember something. He had mentioned yesterday that he hadn't finished unpacking his car. That might be a good idea and then we could spend time together. "Do you need help unpacking?" It comes out a little over-eager, and I grimace in my mind.

He regards me for a moment. "I don't have _that_ much more to do, but I do need to go out shopping and pick up some stuff." His green eyes sparkle as he chuckles silently. "And I am definitely not opposed to the company or the help getting around town."

Why can't I read him? It seems like he was flirting right now, but… _arg_. "Sounds like a plan. Start tomorrow morning after running?"

"How about after running, we go shopping so we can relax a little bit and then empty the car?"

"We should stop for breakfast first. We'll be hungry. I know a great little bagel place or there is a pancake place in town, if you are feeling up for a bigger breakfast."

Trowa starts laughing. "Let's think about breakfast in the morning. It is time to be thinking about Chinese food." He grins at me as I turn bright red replaying my slightly overly enthusiastic offerings in my head.

"Sorry." I whisper and stare at the floor.

"Why? There isn't anything wrong with being excited about life." I look up from the floor and attempt to not get lost in those bright emerald eyes.

"Maybe I am over-reacting to counter the dramatics of yesterday and today."

"Maybe." He responds cryptically and points to something on the menu. "How's the beef and broccoli?"

You had to ask about one of the dishes I don't eat. "Ah, I actually don't eat mammals. I can tell you about the chicken dishes though."

It was his turn to turn red. "I'm sorry."

"You couldn't have known. Had eggs, toast and potatoes for dinner last night. Not exactly the most revealing of foods. At least you know I'm not a vegan. But I will warn you that if you decided to stick around, which I hope you do, that Relena and her girlfriend Dorothy are obnoxious vegetarians. Not exactly vegans, but a pain in the ass to go out with." I am hoping I don't sound as pathetically hopeful as I think I sound. I guess it is a plus that he isn't making for the door right now.

Trowa chuckles warmly. "Thanks for the warning." He gives me a wink. "I went to school with some militant vegans back in the States. Bring the vegetarians on; they can't be worse than the vegans." He says and I see his eyes glittering with repressed laughter. "So how is the General Tso's?"

"Good if you like a decent level of spice." I look over at the menu as I tell him this.

"Hum. Then I think I will try the General Tso's Chicken. You want to get an order of chicken fried rice and spring rolls to share?" He looks to me and waits for my answer.

"I'm game for that. Anything else?" I ask as I stand and fetch my phone.

"Nope, that's it." He states simply with a gentle smile.

I nod and dial the number. Time to practice my Chinese, which luckily isn't so bad since Wufei is a rather good teacher. I get the girl who normally answers the phone, her Common is very good, but I know she'd rather speak Chinese when she can. I smile and place the order with her, asking it to be delivered and she gives me a time of roughly thirty minutes. I tell her to take their time and we hang up. Trowa is looking at me like I have five heads. I return the look with a questioning one of my own.

"You speak Chinese?"

A soft laugh escapes my lips before I can stop it. "Not fluently. But enough to get me by. Wufei's been teaching me. I do, however speak Arabic and English fluently and enough Japanese to be able to deal with Heero when he reverts back to his native language. Duo is also fluent in Japanese, but he pretends he isn't to keep up the guise that they aren't dating."

Trowa just shakes his head. "That is so odd. I don't think I could do that."

My brow furls a little. "Do what?" I know full well what he is talking about, but I want to hear it from him.

"Pretend I am not with someone I'm madly in love with." He muses distantly. "Now, this could be me, and tell me if I am wrong, since I am new to the school and just met everyone yesterday." I keep forgetting that it was only yesterday that this all began and he tumbled right into my life. "But I feel safe in saying that Duo is a rather passionate person."

He looks to me for confirmation. I nod yes and silently bid him to continue, enjoying his dissection of my little group. "I think I would be proud of the person that was that in love with me, that passionate about me. And I don't think I could just pretend that that feeling wasn't there while surrounded by strangers." He shrugs and looks at me with this worried look in his eyes as if to ask 'did I go too far?'

"I don't think I could either, for whatever reason. But I think it is starting to get to them too. I, for one, am glad that it happened now and not a week from now, when classes are in session."

He chuckles. "Ah, very good point."

We continue to chat about school, while waiting for the food to arrive, but we really don't talk about anything in depth. When the food arrives, I go down to get it and pay and tip the driver nicely, thanking him for the service. Once upstairs, I ask Trowa if he wants to veg out in front of the television for a while and maybe watch a movie. He tells me he is game for a movie and I point over to the bookcase full of DVDs and tell him to pick one to watch. He grins at me and goes over to peruse.

While Trowa picks a movie I grab plates and utensils, both chopsticks and flatware just in case. I ask if he wants anything to drink, and he says that water will be fine, so I grab two bottles out of the fridge and head back to the couch and place everything on the coffee table.

At the same time, Trowa pulls a movie off the shelf and shows it to me. Blazing Saddles. I giggle and tell him it is perfect and he looks all proud of himself for choosing wisely. I take the movie and put it in the player and switch the TV on. We sit on the couch and break out the food while the DVD gets to the menu. Trowa grabs the other set of chopsticks, and I smile to myself, happy to see that he knows how to use them. Another point on a tally I didn't realize I was keeping.

We watch and eat in relative silence, making a few comments here and there about the movie we have obviously watched too many times, but not enough that it isn't funny anymore. When the food is completely gone, and I mean completely gone, we sit back, our shoulders barely touching and watch the remainder of the movie together.

As the credits roll, he picks up the two fortune cookies and holds them out in front of him and tells me to choose. I pick the one in his right hand and we both open ours. "Change is going to happen in your life, so go with the flow!" I grin at this and read it aloud so he can hear it too. He too grins and reads his to me. "Our perception and attitude toward any situation will determine the outcome." Well maybe there is hope for me after all.

Trowa helps me clean up dinner and we say our evening good nights. For some reason, on the spur of the moment, I hug him. I feel his body tense for a moment, unsure of what to do and then I feel a soft chuckle rumble in his chest, and he hugs me back.

"You're welcome Quatre." He answer my silent thanks, and I pull away blushing furiously.

"Someday, tell me why you stayed with me, a stranger, and helped with my wreck of a friend."

"Because. You weren't a stranger anymore." He answers cryptically and wishes me good night before heading out of my apartment to his own. I find myself unable to look away from him until he is no longer in visual range and only then do I close my door and get ready for bed, despite the fact that I had slept most of the day.

As I climb into bed, the sun is still in the sky, though making its way west, but I didn't care about anything at all. Anything, save for a warm and gentle soul with bright, beautiful green eyes. The thought lulls me to sleep quickly, a stupid grin plastered to my face as I fall asleep in my bed, which smells so wonderfully like Trowa.


	7. Running

My internal clock wakes me at five thirty in the morning. I lay in bed for a while staring at the ceiling happily recalling the wonderful end to yesterday. It is distinctly possible that I am seeing things through rose colored glasses, but I allow myself to dream.

My mind wanders to Heero and Duo and whether they managed to patch things up. I sure as hell hope so. I think I might just yell at both of them if they don't get past whatever BS has transpired between the two of them.

It is five forty five when I roll out of bed, turn on the lights, and start pulling my running gear from my dresser drawers. As I begin to change, I realize I did not confirm with Trowa the time for this morning's run, I frown and mutter to myself. "I don't want to wake him if he's forgotten." I grumble a bit and finish changing, hoping he'll be there when I get to the meeting point.

On the way out the door, I grab my mp3 player and apartment key, which I shove into the arm band for my mp3 player. As I open my door, I see Trowa standing there in running gear as if he were about to knock. We smile at each and start to laugh before we even say a word to each other. "Mornin'" I practically giggle.

He continues to chuckle letting a "Good Mornin' to you" escape.

"Come on, don't wanna be late." I turn the bottom lock on my door and shut it; giving the handle a quick twist to make sure it is locked. "Especially since I blew off running yesterday morning." I add with a smirk.

"They just might forgive you for that considering the circumstances." Trowa offers.

"Maybe. But they'll probably find something to rag on me about."

"It can't be all that bad."

I practically snort. "Wait 'til Duo is in a good mood." With a nod I beckon Trowa to follow me to the stairs. "No one is safe when he's happy. Not even himself, but that is neither here or there."

"Do you think they worked everything out?" Trowa asks as we trot down the stairs.

"They should. Despite their once in a while disagreements they are about as passionately in love with the other as two people can be. It is cute and sickening at the same time."

"It's only sickening when you don't have another person to be cute and cuddly with. I hated being the third wheel at my other school."

I shoot him a look of disbelief. "You, the third wheel? No way in hell."

He returns the look with equal intensity. "The same could be said about you."

"I'm gay." Not the best of responses but it is the one that comes out of my mouth first.

Trowa chuckles. "What does that have to do with anything? I bet there are plenty of eligible gay bachelors out there who would love to go out with you."

A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "Oh there are. But they don't want just plain Quatre. They want Quatre Rebarba Winner and his immense fortune." That sounds harsher than I mean it to be, but the shallowness of potential boyfriends gets to me sometimes. As we near the morning rendezvous point, I see Zechs and Wufei stretching and talking with each other. Heero and Duo are nowhere to be seen.

"You know. It isn't going to always be like that. They'll be some guy who just sweeps you off your feet and couldn't care less if you were Quatre Winner of the Winner Corp or if you were Quatre Winner, a fast food employee," he says sincerely as he watches me out of the corner of his eye.

"Everyone knows who I am." I whine.

The beauty with the green eyes looks at me and shrugs. "I didn't know who you were until you told me that you were that Quatre Winner. There's someone out there for you." He reassures me, and I can't help but wonder if there is more to his words than simple friendly reassurance. The vibe I get off of him is a comfortable one, like he's happy and relaxed around me, which in turn, makes me happy and relaxed.

"Well, look who decided to show up this morning." Wufei greets us with his usual morning sourness. The tone in his voice earns him a look from Zechs and some words whispered in his ear, which make him frown grumpily. The frown, though, earns him a gentle kiss and I marvel at their relationship. They thrive off the little day to day conflict and use it to keep their lives interesting. It is like watching a tennis match waged between two of the most brilliant players in the sport. A match that will never end because the players feed off of each other, letting the back and forth volley provide the subtle details that make them stay in love with each other from day to day.

"I can't help it that we were helping a friend in distress. We could have sent him your way instead." I reply with a smirk.

With those words, Wufei's face lights up beet red and Zechs begins to laugh. By 'Fei's reaction it doesn't take much to figure out that whatever they were doing the other night was not something he would have liked to have been disturbed.

Wufei never ceases to amaze me. He's been relatively open about his relationship with Zechs. They attend all sorts of royal and posh functions together and Zechs always introduces Wufei as his partner with a possessive arm around his waist. Someone would have to be really dense to think that they were business partners and not lovers. Yet, despite the openness of their relationship, Wufei is highly embarrassed by the mention of anything sexual or suggestive in his presence. Heero, Duo, and I find it funny and take every shot we can at him, while Zechs finds it endearing and cute. That is why he is dating 'Fei and we aren't.

"So..." I decide to change the subject. "Has anyone heard from Duo or Heero?"

Zechs looks at me as he idly massages Wufei's neck. "I heard from Heero yesterday, before Duo got back. He requested that we run the 5 mile road course today." The blond chuckles. "I can only assume he planned on doing a lot of making up."

"So what is going on?" I try to pry for details and Zechs smiles innocently at me. "I know you and 'Fei both know."

"Why, my dear Quatre. You will just have to ask Heero. He should be able to fill you in on the specifics of what he is up to." He smiles smugly.

"You won this one Peacecraft. But do not expect to win them all." I shake my fist at him in false anger, grin at Trowa and drop to the ground to begin stretching out for the run.

As Trowa sits down next to me to begin stretching out as well, I hear him chuckling quietly. "What's so funny?" I glare at him with mock annoyance, my eyes giving away my mirth.

"The way you play off of each other. You are all very comfortable around one another." He observes. "It is nice to be around people who aren't superficial and fake." His words are soft, so I suspect I am the only one that can hear them. If Zechs or Wufei can, they don't show any outward sign that they do. Especially, as they have started to do assisted stretching, which involves a lot of touching. It works for them though, so I don't make too much fun of pair while they're at it.

"I think we're all just awkward enough that we've found kindred spirits who accept us for who we are. The mask only seems to work when we're in the spotlight." I glance at Zechs and Wufei and see the blond has stopped stretching and is gently tracing the tattoo on his boyfriend's leg.

Trowa catches my eye and looks over at them, noticing the tattoo for the first time. "It's a dragon, starts at his right ankle with the tail, wraps around his body and ends with the head on the left pectoral." I explain softly. "The Chang family guardian is a dragon and it is very fitting for Wu's personality. So Blondie over there offered the work to be done by the best artist in Sanc for their second anniversary. You'll probably see the rest of it later."

Trowa looks at me side-ways, a look of amusement on his face. "Duo's got some work too, which you'll probably see when or if he gets here." I add.

"What about you?" Green eyes glitter with curiosity.

"Well you've seen me without my shirt."

"That doesn't necessary mean that you don't have anything done." He grins at me.

"Nope. No work. I've been tossing it around since Wufei got inked, but I don't know if I am ready for tattoos yet. Kinda a big step. What about you?"

"None for me either. Not opposed to them, just don't know what I want yet."

"You guys ready? I think I just saw Yuy pass by." Zechs asks us as he stands and grabs his knee brace, which I had not seen lying there.

"Did you see if he had Duo with him?" Zechs shakes his head as he straps the medieval looking, heavy duty knee brace on. People have sworn off running for lesser injuries than having your knee reconstructed twice. Both times thanks to horses and yet, he still runs and rides. The man never ceases to amaze me. "I am assuming though, if he is actually here, they have managed to patch things up. I can't see Heero leaving Duo alone right now if they hadn't, especially after his little drinking binge the other night." Zechs adds as he stands up, flinging his head back to easily collect his long hair. He takes a thin hair tie from off his wrist and ties his platinum hair tightly into a high pony tail.

I hop up off the ground and offer a hand to Trowa who takes it, and I pull him up. "They better not be indecent." Wufei mutters unhappily and Zechs smiles, winks at Trowa and I, then grabs his boyfriend's hand, pulls him close and kisses him deeply. 'Fei turns several different shades of red in the process while Trowa and I stifle laughs.

"Was that indecent?" Zechs asks his breathless boyfriend.

When Wufei finally regains his composure, he grumbles. "Of course it was." He snaps then turns and marches off over-dramatically towards the parking lot to, I assume, find the rest of our running party.

Zechs smiles mischievously at us and lightly jogs to catch up with his boyfriend. Trowa and I smile and shrug before following Zechs and 'Fei. The parking lot is around the corner of the dining hall and when we turn the corner, I see Wufei standing still with his mouth wide open, staring at Heero's black Hybrid SUV with something akin to disbelief in his dark eyes. I follow his gaze to the car and start giggling.

"Looks like they made up." Though stating the obvious, I think it is necessary to get Wu' to stop staring. Somehow, in the short span of time it took for Heero to drive past us, to the time we got there, Duo had managed to straddle Heero's lap for an impromptu make out session in the driver's seat. It sure as hell does not look comfortable. From my vantage, it looks like Duo is using the steering wheel as a seat without setting off the horn. I have to say, I am impressed by that feat.

"Should we inform them that they have an audience?" I ask with the most serious face I can muster.

"I think, if they want to go running with us, we should. And I am pretty sure that if we don't stop them now, they will truly do something indecent." Zechs grins over his shoulder at his boyfriend then walks up to the car. As Heero begins to push Duo's shirt up, Zechs raps on the window. Heero looks at him innocently through the glass and carefully lowers Duo's shirt.

I can see Duo start laughing and lean so his face is hidden in Heero's neck to say something. Or at least I assume he says something, since I can't see his face, but Heero's body language make me think that it was a reply. Then again, they could be fucking with us. Who knows?

Heero bites the area where Duo's shoulder and neck meet and opens the door.

"You asshole." We hear Duo shout with a huge grin on his face and playfully punches Heero's arm before climbing off of him and out of the car.

"Do you have to act like teenagers in heat?" My Chinese friend snips, and Duo bounces towards him and throws his arms around 'Fei's neck, planting a solid, wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"Ah, what's the matter Wuffers? Never seen two boys make out?" His violet eyes dance over to Zechs, who appears to be incapable of doing anything at the moment but laugh.

"I…what…fuck off Maxwell." He stutters and pushes Duo off of him. "Go back to Yuy." He makes a shooing gesture and slinks off to stand beside his prince.

I watch Duo bounce back to Heero, who grabs the hyper man by the waist and pulls him tightly to him. Well something's changed. I glance at Trowa with a knowing smirk on my face. "Come on." With a nod of my head, I edge Trowa into following me, and then I look over at the two couples and shake my head. "Come on you lovebirds, we've got five miles to run." I warn and break into a light run. Trowa doesn't miss a beat and in two steps he is in sync with me.

"Oi, Quatre. Be nice, we're sore." Duo bellows.

Wufei groans, Zechs chuckles, Trowa looks at me from the corner of his eye, and I retort. "I can't help that Duo. You should remember to use the handcuffs with the thicker lining when you intend on going at it all night."

"Fuck Q. We couldn't find them last night. And we…" Heero clears his throat loudly. "I broke the lightweight ones." The braided wonder babbles happily.

"You know that is way too much information Duo. And you, Heero, are not helping the situation at all you know." I glance over my shoulder at Heero, who is running side-by-side with Duo, and he shrugs with a smirk.

I hear Duo's pace pick up and he is running by my side. "Oh come on Quat." He says with a playful grin in his eyes and I look over at Trowa. "Oi. Trowa, o you care?"

Trowa looks past me to Duo. "Actually, I was going to ask you where you got your handcuffs. There was a really neat place in the Northeast where I went to school that had some really great leather gear."

I gasp quietly and look dumfounded between the two. Ok, I know Heero and Duo are the biggest bondage bunnies that I have ever met, but Trowa's interest in the subject makes me a bit nervous. I've never really understood the whole bondage thing, but then again, I've only had sex with one of the people I have gone so far as to call my boyfriend.

"No shit?" Duo looks at Trowa with approval. "Well, Heero and I have to take a trip there soon, since we're down a set. You're welcome to come with us." He looks to me. "We could make a whole day of it. Get the rest of the guys to come along so you're not along with just Heero and me. I would only wish that on Wuffles because I like to see him squirm. Just 'cause he's always so composed."

Trowa looks at me as if asking for permission. "You wanna go?"

I know I look nervous, and I lick my lips. "I've never been. So I guess it would be ok."

Trowa's lips curl into a grin. "What's the place called Duo?"

"Leather and a Lot More." Duo replies with a grin.

"Sounds like fun."

"Cool. I'm gonna tell 'Ro." Duo chuckles and then slows down a bit so that he is running even with Heero.

Trowa looks at me. "You sure it is ok?"

I feel my face flush and not from exertion. "Yeah. I'm kind of curious."

"Ok. I just don't want you to think that I'm trying to push my way into the group." He looks unsure of himself, and I can feel the worry emanating from him.

I grin. "No, I like it. Really. I'm glad you get along with my friends." I add hastily, and cringe at the same time because I realize how suggestive that sounds. Allah, he isn't my boyfriend.

"So where did you go to school before coming here?"

"A small school in Massachusetts. I spent the last two years getting straight A's and getting scholarships in place so I could come to Sanc. My father didn't want me going to school for civil engineering or sociology. So he told me if I wasn't going to be a lawyer or a business professional, I would have to pay my way through school." Now I felt really bad. Here I am with more money than I know what to do with, and he had to pay his own way.

I groan audibly much to my chagrin. "Are you happy?" I ask hesitantly. Allah, I feel more socially inept than Heero right now. Why do we always act stupid around the people we like?

"Actually, yes. I had no interest in being a lawyer or business professional, so I went out on my own and accomplished more than I would have if I had stayed at home." I feel even worse at those words, and he sees the worry and sadness in my eyes. "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. We deal with what life gives us. I was dealt a hand with two pairs you were granted a Straight Flush. They are both useful hands, both can win the pot, it is just you have more of a chance of getting something than me. My hand is fine for me." He gives me a small smile and a blush crosses my cheeks. "How far have we gone?" He asks, changing the topic.

I look to my right bicep and see the mp3 player and notice a distinct lack of connectivity from it to me. "Hum I seem to have forgotten to set it up, so I have no clue."

"Talk about leather and handcuffs and your brain leaves you? Hum. I'll have to remember that."

I gawk at him, and he laughs. "Don't worry. I won't do it at inappropriate times." I do not stop gawking. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does he mean it in that teasing sort of way or in that 'I want to see what colors you turn before I jump you' way? Then the catcalls begin. Ah, wonderful distraction.

Trowa's pace falters at the first whistle, and he begins to look around frantically, his eyes landing on a group of relatively good looking woman, dressed in skimpy running gear joining our little group. The look on his face is on par with horrified. "What the hell…?"

"Ooops, forgot to warn you. We have a fan club. Consists of anywhere between ten to fifty females and a handful of men. Look back at the other four. Any persuasion can tell that they are art in motion." I look back over my shoulder and grin. The other four have removed their shirts and tucked them into their running shorts. After about two miles in this heat and humidity, it becomes quite unbearable, and we cherish the slight breeze on wet skin, but I didn't this time for the sake of our guest. The other four, however don't seem to be all that concerned.

Zechs and Wufei are running last in line. The blond appears to be smiling and chatting with Wufei about something. Wufei looks annoyed, but I cannot help but look at the brilliant tattoo of his. His muscles ripple as he runs, giving the dragon the illusion of movement. And the early morning sun and sheen from sweat just adds to the illusion, making the colors pop out in stunning brilliance.

Ahead of them and directly behind us, run Heero and Duo. Heero is the stoic chiseled god in human form. Sexy and toned, with his own special following of art and history majors. Then there is Duo. He gets those gothy types out and moving. Must be something about the tattooed bat wings that extend to his elbows; or the bust of Death nestled between the wings with Shinigami written in Kanji on the skull's forehead.

Then again, it could be the nipple piercings. Today's rings look to be black tribal-like shields, maybe to draw attention away from the multiple bite marks on his neck and upper chest. Not that he ever gave a damn what other people thought of him. Just Heero. Even before they started dating, Heero's opinion always mattered. I idly wonder if Heero realizes that most people are smart enough to look at the mutual bite marks and shared knowing looks and put it together that they are a couple.

Then there is me. I'm there to provide extra eye candy for those who like to look at pretty boys. I'm actually relieved that Duo commands the biggest crowd. Makes things easier for everyone else to comfortably hide out in the open. Granted, the immense morning following annoys Heero to no end, and we tend to hear him say choice things about it at his earliest convenient chance. Yet, still he runs with us everyone morning. Really, I think that he secretly likes the attention and has no real way of being able to express it in a way he sees as appropriate.

"You'll be all the rage if you keep running with us. We've tried changing times and start locations, still the obsessed still find us." I explain as we run, we're probably about three miles in, and I am just starting to feel it.

Trowa looks at me like I have grown three heads in the last few minutes. "You're being serious."

I nod my head. "Very, but the fan club isn't allowed to do anything but run near us. Wufei and Heero both flipped on a few of the fans when they tried hitting on their respective boyfriends. It wasn't pretty. So Zechs said that they were allowed to run behind or to the side of us, but when they were told to leave they had to. What he used as leverage? I have no clue. Don't even think 'Fei knows. I asked him once, he shrugged and looked annoyed. Like he didn't want to let on that he didn't know the answer."

"You know all of that is really fucked up, Quatre." He says to me with a high level of amusement in his voice.

"Yes, yes it is. You still want to be friends with us?"

He nudges my shoulder slightly. "It makes life interesting and as long as you don't mind me being around, I'd like to stay." I laugh, and he grins as he increases his pace. Before I realize it, he is pushing me into a friendly competition of who can run the last two or so miles the fastest. I hear Duo shouting something behind me, and I just grin and focus on trying to beat Trowa. Whatever Duo was saying probably isn't all that important, and if it was he can catch up to me and tell me.

Trowa's long legs provide him with an unfair advantage, but I try to make up for it with sheer stubbornness. The track that we run is basically a large five mile circle around part of the campus. I see the parking lot and Heero's SUV coming into view, grin at Trowa, and kick myself into high speed, hoping I still have the energy for a mile or so sprint. "First one to Heero's car wins."

"What's the prize?" Trowa asks me and I can hear the breathlessness in his voice.

"To be determined over breakfast." I let out a gleeful laugh and push myself as much as I can. Unfortunately, at this very moment I realize that being shorter than Trowa seals his victory, as he gently touches the hood of Heero's car mere seconds before me.

"I think that means I win." Trowa gloats playfully as he bends over, panting and rests his hands on his knees.

I grumble something, trying hard to look upset, but I really can't say that I am. Curious, but wary as to what he will try to claim as his prize, yet excited at the same time. "Better start thinking about what you want for winning."

"Oh, trust me I am." Well that response fills me with a certain amount of dread. I'll just have to trust him not to completely dick me over. I groan inwardly realizing how crazy that sounds, since I just met the guy two days ago. He stands up and pushes his sweat drenched bangs back off his face. Allah, he has such beautiful eyes. It is such a shame he hides them behind his bangs.

Muscles threaten to rebel if I don't start moving again, so I beckon Trowa to start walking with me around the parking lot. "We shouldn't stand still."

"I know." He nods. "Got distracted." He offers me a quick wink and begins to walk and stretch out his upper body.

"What the hell were you two doing?" Duo shouts as he nears the parking lot.

"Running. What did it look like we were doing?" I give him a cheeky smile, though I'm not sure he can see it from where he is.

"I don't fucking know." Duo shrugs with a maniacal grin.

"Actually, I challenged Trowa."

Duo doesn't say anything as he slows down to a jog to catch up with us. "What was the prize for winning?" His violet eyes narrow slightly, and I get a bad feeling.

"Prize to be determined over breakfast." I respond going on the defensive; I know that his 'Protect Quatre' alarm has been activated.

"Who won?" It is a simple question he asks and it may seem to the casual observer that he asks out of simple curiosity, but I know better. Duo has always been able to hide his true feelings behind a mask of bubbly enthusiasm and child-like fascination.

I quickly glance at Trowa, he smiles but doesn't say anything. "Trowa did."

"Congratulations." He chuckles and turns and jogs back to where Heero is in the parking lot.

"Shit." I hiss as soon as I see Duo settle into pace with Heero.

"What?" Trowa looks at me, a worried look on his face.

"Listen. If Duo pulls you aside and asks you questions, answer what you will, but don't lie to him. He won't let on that he knows you're lying to him, but he's pretty good at spotting lies

"Why would he pull me aside and ask me questions." Trowa looks at me confused.

"Because the gang is overprotective of me, and that is putting it mildly. You're new to the group, and we haven't had anyone new to the group in forever." I explain to the best of my ability, knowing that there is far more to it than that.

"Ok." He responds hesitantly. "I'll be ok? Right?"

A nervous laugh escapes my lips. "You should be. Duo's not the violent one. Too laid back to be violent."

Trowa starts laughing. "Ok. If you're sure."

"You'll be ok. Promise" He offers me a large beaming smile, and my stomach does this weird twisty thing in that good and exciting sort of way.

"So what are the agenda for the rest of the day?"

"Go back, take showers so we're not icky, and go get some food."

"Sounds like a plan. You want to head in now." I nod, hoping that if we head in now we'll be able to avoid Duo.

We start walking towards the apartments, and it seems like we will manage to escape without Duo trying to pull Trowa aside for an in depth game of 20 plus questions. "Hey Quatre, can I talk to you for a moment?" Heero calls after me. FUCK FUCK FUCK! I look over my shoulder and see Heero and Duo making their way towards us. I know the game they are playing, and I am not happy about it.

I look at Trowa nervously. "Can it wait 'til a little later Heero, I've got some things to do today."

"Please Quatre. It is kind of important." I sigh, knowing that I'm not going to be able to keep 'the talk' from happening.

"I'm sorry." I say softly to Trowa just as Heero and Duo reach us.

"You mind chillin' with me while Heero picks Q's brain." I hear Duo say as Heero grabs my arm and gently starts to drag me away.

"Uh." Trowa looks at me and all I can do is shrug and look sorry. "Sure." He replies to Duo and I watch them walk in a direction opposite of us.

"You know Heero, you guys don't have to do this. I'm capable of figuring my own shit out."

He shrugs. "I actually do need to talk to you, and I figured that now would be as good a time as any. Duo's not going to say anything to you about what he finds out. Think of it this way. At least he didn't hunt him down and talk to him without you knowing."

Ugh, I know he has a point, but it still doesn't make me happy. I grumble audibly. "So what do you need to talk to me about?" I look at him.

Heero stops, blushes bright red and shuffles his feet for a second. Wow, defiantly not the reaction I was expecting. "First, I want to say thank you for making sure he didn't get hurt or anything. Let me know if I can do anything to thank you for that." You could leave my non-existent love life alone."Second, do the Winner's have a house on the beach that I might be able to borrow for a week or two? I want to take Duo someplace quiet and out of the way to apologize to him for being a dick."

"I'm sure I can have someone go make sure one of the beach houses is stocked and ready for guests. What time frame are you looking at?" Despite the oddness of Heero's request, I figure that it is for a good cause and I should help him.

He frowns, thinking. "Two weeks from Saturday."

I balk at him. "That isn't a lot of time Heero."

"But is it possible?" He pushes.

"Anything is possible, Heero. I'll have to make a few phone calls to find out."

He offers me a small smile. "I would really appreciate it."

"I'll see what I can do. So do I get to find out what caused Duo to down a bottle of rum and go joy-riding?" I look at him expectantly.

The quiet asshole smiles at me slyly. "Let's just say I was getting him a gift and wanted it to remain secret and ended completely fucking everything up."

"What gift?" I press.

"It's private." Heero replies with a chuckle, and I shiver as every single sex toy I have every laid eyes on or heard about runs through my mind. I don't need to be reminded constantly that their love life is more than adequate.

"Gah, Heero. Too much information." I shake my head violently.

He shrugs. "You asked, Quatre. And it was your mind that threw my comment into the gutter. I could have gotten him a lovely hair tie."

"Somehow I doubt it was a hair tie. Some other type of tie, just not one for his hair." I give him a half-hearted glare then look over at Trowa and Duo. "Can you go tell your boyfriend to leave the new guy alone? I'd like him to come back."

Heero smirks at me. "I don't think that will be a problem."

"Gah!" I run my hands through my sweat dampened hair.

My friend begins to chuckle. "Relax Quatre. You go take a shower. I'll go make sure that Duo doesn't detain Mister Tall and Sexy too long."

"I should wait for him." I reply nervously.

"You go inside, and Duo will get straight to the point. You know he's being intentionally confusing right now because you could be listening." That I could not disagree with Heero on, Duo was a master at verbal gymnastics.

I throw my arms up in the air grumpily. "Fine." I say loudly and jog towards the apartments. "Trowa, come over when you're ready to head out." He smiles weakly over his shoulder, letting me know he had heard me.


	8. Morning Confessions

I retreat hastily to my apartment, desperately needing to escape from the guys before I do something stupid in front of Trowa. Stupid, like punch Duo in the face for meddling and then getting punched by Heero for hitting his boyfriend. Well, probably not. Heero would be the rational one and separate us before we could actually damage each other.

I run into my haven, making sure to leave the door unlocked – though I'm sure I'll be out of the shower before Duo is done drilling Trowa – strip out of my damp clothes and jump into relaxing lukewarm water. Allah, I hope Duo doesn't mess this all up. I know he means well. But he sure as shit can be a scary s.o.b. when he gets serious and protective, and Heero really doesn't help to change that picture.

It does seem that they managed to resolve whatever issues they were having, including Heero's issues with public displays of affection. It is as if they went in the end of a tunnel where nothing was allowed and emerged on the side where everything is allowed. There were some points this morning that I thought they were just going to go at it in front of us. "Allah, I don't need any more reminders that I don't have anyone. Or that the only sex I've had in years have been pity fucks." I bang my head gently on the tiled wall because I really shouldn't be thinking about any of this.

"Fuck." I hiss and start washing as quickly as possible before my poor neglected libido takes over. I manage to make it through my shower without caving to my baser needs and with a triumphant cry, I turn off the water, jump out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. With bouncing steps I make my way to my room, hopefully a positive attitude will be able to overcome any damage Duo may have done.

Now what the hell am I going to wear today? Jeans are usually good and neutral. I start combing my closest for one of the two pairs of relaxed fit jeans I own, which appear to be conveniently underneath a pair of shoes I haven't worn in a year. Shows how much I wear relaxed fit jeans. Ok, time for a shirt. What do I have that doesn't scream 'hey look at me I'm a rich, available, gay boy?' Not like I'm trying to hide it, just want to keep it low key. Why? I think I am worried about scaring him off. But if he is gay he'd want to see me in my normal 'I'm so fuckable' outfits. Right? Oh the dilemma!

"Oh hell." I should start with the basics and work my way up. Boxers are good. Since I am going to be helping Trowa move into his apartment that eliminates flannels for they are too warm and silk, as that would just be pathetic since we're not at that stage in our relationship. Though he did see me in my underwear already, I don't think I want to push my luck on this one and risk him turning tail and running away before anything gets a chance to happen.

I pull out a pair of slightly goofy boxer briefs, a gag gift from Duo when I off-handedly complained about my boxers bunching uncomfortably last year when I was helping him and Heero move into their house. I don't know where he found them; don't want to know where he found them, but they so embarrassingly have 'Study Hard' neatly written on the crotch and ass. Since there is no possibility I'll be losing my pants in front of Trowa, I feel ok with putting them on for the day.

Suggestive boxer brief? Check. Relaxed fit jeans? Check. I step into them and pull them up, noting that they are a bit on the large side. They must have fit when I bought them. Grrr…

"Quatre?"

Shit, Trowa. "Bedroom." I know I've been caught; at least I didn't pull the stereotypical girl thing and pull everything out of the closet to figure out what to wear.

Trowa comes walking into the bedroom. I'm standing there without a shirt on, jeans riding low on my hips showing the band of the special pair of underwear. I look at him with an embarrassed look on my face, and he starts to chuckle. "Why can't I see you as the type of person to wear clothes that don't fit perfectly?" He asks me with a smile.

"Because, I'm not." I answer truthfully and then shyly I add. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable by wearing what I usually wear."

He gives me an odd look. "Why would I be uncomfortable with what you are wearing?" He sounds confused.

I furl my brow and take a deep slow breath. "Because I think they make me look like a rich, available, gay boy?" I run my fingers through my still damp hair.

"Well aren't you a rich, available, gay boy?" Trowa asks me with a teasing tone in his voice, and I catch myself before I respond with something akin to: well, I don't know about available.

His eyes brighten as he catches my hesitation in answering the question and I opt for a vague answer. "I guess."

"Quatre. Dress however you want to. You're not going to make me uncomfortable." I squirm a little as his eyes appear to roam over my body hungrily. There is always the possibility that I am making things up that aren't really there. I think I need to push him out of my room before one of us does something stupid. Like jump each other before we're ready. I will not let lust fuck this up, no matter how much I want to let it pilot.

"Ok." I walk up to him, put my hands on his shoulders and gently push against him. "But you have to get out for a moment. So I can change."

Trowa takes a step back and chuckles. "I have seen you in your underwear, and I know you are wearing some."

He had a point, but he hadn't seen me in this ridiculous pair of underwear. "Well…" Hum, choose words carefully or else it will arouse major suspicious.

"Well?" He questions as he attempts to suppress a chuckle.

"Well it is embarrassing."

"You're not wearing a thong or a g-string are you?"

I feel my eyes bug out. "I don't even own any."

His green eyes sparkle with mischief. "That, of course, could always be remedied." He gently leans against my hands.

My jaw drops, what feels like clear to the floor, and I look at him incredulously trying to figure out what exactly he meant by that. "I can't imagine that they're all that comfortable." I finally say as I regain some of my composure.

"Eh, they're not _that_ bad." Confusion! I give him a suspicious look. "I was part of a circus fraternity the last two years. There were times when you needed to make the costume a little less… see-through and a jock strap would look funny under skin tight spandex." That was a little more candid than I was prepared for.

I'm also not sure which surprises me more. The fact that he was in a circus or that he just 'fessed up to wearing thongs while he was there. "You get to tell me more about the circus while we're at breakfast, but now I kick you out so I can change." I tell him sternly with a slight shake of my head, causing semi-dry bangs to fall onto my face.

"As you wish." He offers me a small, gentle smile that just makes me melt and carefully brushes my bangs from my eyes, his hand ever so slightly brushing my forehead in a mock caress. Trowa takes a slow step back allowing me to rebalance my weight so I don't fall over. With a small smirk he turns, leaves my room and closes the door behind him.

I stare at the door for what feels like eternity, trying to figure out what exactly he was getting at during our exchange. With a little wiggling, my pants fall to the floor without being undone, and I laugh at myself for thinking that wearing them was a good idea. I grab a pair of maroon cotton boxers and the jeans I wore briefly two days ago, along with a lightweight burgundy, touchable soft, complimentary, form fitting tee shirt.

Dressing quickly, I stop abruptly, look myself in the mirror and sigh. Allah, I am so pathetic. I feel like an eager high school student with a stupid crush. I can't read him, I don't even know if he's actually gay or just really comfortable with his own sexuality that he feels it is ok to flirt. I hardly know anything about him, and what I do know I've learned after two and a half days. Yet, there are people you are just drawn too. Like Duo. Duo and I were friends from the moment we met, to the point where we were virtually inseparable. Well, until he and Heero started dating and even then we remained close.

"Fuck." I hiss in sit down on my bed, all the sudden feeling totally inadequate and pathetic. Then there was a knock on my door.

"Quatre?" He sounds a little lost.

"You can come in." I tell him as I flop backwards on the bed.

Trowa enters and sits down on the bed with me. "You ok?"

I give him a weak smile. "Yeah. Just been a crazy couple of days."

He smiles. "It has, hasn't it?"

Then abruptly, before I can tell myself it is a bad idea I say, "I'm glad that Duo didn't scare you away. How did it go?" I roll my head to the side and look up at him.

Trowa closes his green eyes and is silent for a moment as if debating what exactly he wants to tell me. Then he takes a deep resolute breath and exhales slowly. "Well the bulk of his inquisition was focused on trying to figure out if I was gay."

That got me flying into a sitting position a look of shock on my face. I groan miserably. "I can't believe he did that."

Trowa laughs quietly. "No. It's ok. He meant well. I give him credit for his bluntness. Not many people have the ability to just come out with it."

Allah, I so want to know the answer to that question. "So, everything ok?" Not exactly indirect, but a bit more tactful than Duo's approach.

"I don't know if the answer thrilled him, but he seemed to accept it. He also told me that if I hurt you, he would have Heero beat me up." He gives me a little thoughtful smile.

I bring my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs and look at him. "He's unbelievable."

"He's protective, maybe a little too much. But the sentiment is sweet." He pauses and bites his lower lip, then looks into my eyes. "Quatre, I couldn't give Duo a solid answer to the question." He pauses as if he is looking for the right words. "I've been in a few relationships with girls. Nothing really ever came of them, and to say I'm inexperienced with guys is an understatement, but…" He takes a deep breath trying to steady himself. "If you think you would be ok with..." He pauses again and runs his hand through his hair. " _God this sounds stupid."_ He whispers under his breath, and I decide to hopefully make the awkward moment less awkward.

"Be ok with helping you figure it out?" I offer, figuring that is where he is going. I wouldn't consider myself overly experienced, but at least I _know_.

Trowa bites his lower lip again and nods his head weakly. "I don't want…"

I don't let him finish, quickly lowering my legs so I am sitting in lotus position on my bed, I reach out my hand, caress his cheek, and lean forward, kissing him mid-sentence. What has taken possession of me, I have no clue, but it seems like the right thing to do at the moment.

He hesitates, his green eyes flying open in surprise and shock. I look back into them and pull away. It was a simple chaste kiss, something akin to what you would give a family member when saying hello or goodbye to them. His green eyes reflect his confusion, and he licks his lips subconsciously. "If you want more just ask." I state simply, letting him digest what just happened.

Trowa swallows hard. "Quatre…"

I grin and stand up, pulling him with me. "Come on lets go get some food and you can tell me about the circus." A bright smile graces my lips, and I gently grab his hand, giving it a gentle pull to follow.

He grasps my hand tightly and pulls me to him. "One for the road?" With his free hand he caresses my cheek and tilts my chin up.

"One for the road." I nod not wanting to say anything about more, not knowing if there will be more, but this is a definite improvement over where I was yesterday.

Trowa lowers his lips to mine and they gently meet. I allow Trowa to lead, knowing that if I lead, we'll probably end up on the bed with me trying to strip him of his clothes. Yeah, I really need to get laid, but calm is the name of the game at the moment. I can feel him tense just a bit, as if he is unsure what he wants to do with this chaste kiss of ours. Does he want to deepen it? Or is he content enough right now to have our lips touching while gently playing with my hair.

He pulls back for a moment, and I open my eyes to see if I can figure out what he is thinking. Bright green eyes stare back at me, and he smiles mischievously and gently pulls me back to him again. This time he kisses me for real. The same slow tentative start and then, like he craves more, I feel his tongue tease at my lips. With a smile, I play back, taking minute control of the situation. I slip my hand around his neck and tilt my head for a better angle and deepen the kiss. Wonderfully, he follows along, and we stand in the middle of my room, both of us with one hand around each other's necks and the other around the other's waist, kissing with exploratory wonder and passion.

As we pull apart, I gently bite his lower lip and grin. Allah, that was one hell of a kiss. "I think we should go get food now. Because if we don't, I might not be able to stop kissing you." He tells me quietly, his voice weak and breathless.

"I think that is a good idea." But I am unable to move away and pull him down for another long kiss. This is so much better than breakfast, I grin to myself even as my stomach rumbles in protest.


	9. Exploring the Town

Finally, we manage to stop kissing, both of us panting softly as if we had just run the 5 miles we did this morning. "You want to drive or you want me to? You'd learn the area better if you drove." I ask, knowing that he's going to tell me that his car is full, and he doesn't want to drive it.

"My car's still a mess."

I give him a mischievous smile. "I know. You know how to drive stick?" He nods. "You ever drive a BMW?" He looks at me suspiciously and shakes his head 'no.' "You want to drive one?"

"You serious?" He looks skeptical.

"Of course. The Mini's a stick too, but not as fun to drive."

"I think I would feel better driving the Mini." Trowa chuckles.

"Ok. The Mini it is." I grab his hand and lead him out of the bedroom. I stop in the middle of the living room and look at our joined hands. "You ok with this?" I look from our hands to his eyes.

Trowa blushes and squeezes my hand tightly. "As long as you are okay being seen with a nobody like me. I've got no one here I would be hiding it from, since I'm new here and all your friends probably have a fairly good idea that I'm interested..."

I nod. "Just let me know if I do something that makes you uncomfortable. I'd rather know than have something that is bothering you fester between us." Hopefully, he takes me seriously and trusts me enough to know that I mean it

He hesitates for a moment. "I've never been one to share my feelings. I have a really bad habit of just sitting on things until they resolve in my head."

I look at him awkwardly and squeeze his hand. "Well, it could be something to work on." I stop and look at him, worrying that I just scared him away. "I mean, if you want…" I stutter trying to get a reading off of him and fail miserably. "I'm sorry, that was too soon to say anything like that."

Trowa smiles at me and pulls me close. "I can't predict the future. I wish I could, but I can't. I promise to try my best." I know that it is his way of telling me that if everything goes well, he's up for trying to make this work. Whatever _this_ is. Kisses and hand-holding are wonderful and comfortable, but the fact that they are there do not mean there is an actual relationship. Like the kind where you introduce the other person as your boyfriend or partner. That is what I consider an actual relationship. I just hope I don't have to wait too long to figure out what is going on.

He pulls me close and my body surges with the electricity from his nervous and awkward but highly enthusiastic kiss. I hear his stomach rumble along with mine, and I pull away with a little laugh. "We better go eat. Our stomachs are trying to tell us something."

Trowa nods in agreement. "So what do you want?" He asks as we walk hand-in-hand to the door.

"Hum. I know a great local place that has every type breakfast food imaginable. How about that?"

"Sounds good. So, am I still driving?"

I grab the keys for the Mini off of the wall. "If you still want to. We can take the long way there, and I can show you where everyone lives. Or we can go the short way, eat first, then go exploring."

Trowa grins and chuckles. "How about we go get food first. I'm hungry and I know you are too. Then we can go exploring."

"That works." I grin and toss him the keys. He catches them with nimble fingers. Oh, I would so love to see exactly how nimble those fingers are. On the way out the door, I snag the house keys and lock up behind us. Trowa catches my hand and he looks at me expectantly, as if to make sure that this was ok. With a slight nod I let him know that holding hands is perfectly ok, he beams back at me and off we go.

He has to finagle the seat of the Mini a little, being a bit taller than me. Though he's not so much taller that kissing and holding hands is awkward, which is nice.

When Trowa said he knew how to drive stick, I just assumed that he was comfortable with that type of transmission. I was not expecting him to be someone who seemed born driving a manual. Duo's the only other one I have met who is this comfortable in a vehicle. Which, is saying a hell of a lot, since all my friends know how to handle a motor vehicle as well as most professional drivers.

As we pull out of the parking lot, I direct him to swing past the lot where we had last seen Heero's SUV. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I really wanted to know if they had actually managed to make it out of the parking lot before they jumped each other. When we pass by I start laughing helplessly. Trowa looks past me and see Heero's SUV, break lights on, Heero in the driver's seat, leaning towards the passenger's seat. We can't see his face, but there is little doubt in my mind that he's doing something with Duo.

We get moving again, leaving Heero and Duo to their private time in the public parking lot so we can get food for our rumbling stomachs. I direct Trowa to the breakfast shop and, as we pull into the parking lot, I am relieved to see that the new students haven't found out about it yet, seeing as the parking lot is relatively empty. We get out of the car, walk into the restaurant and get a table. The waiter takes our drink order and lets us pour over the menu until he returns.

The waiter puts a carafe of coffee and a carafe of orange juice on the table and I smile happily as I decide which liquid I want more at the moment. Trowa and I put in our breakfast orders with the waiter. I get the black bean chili omelet, a short stack with strawberries and whipped cream and side of home fries. Allah, I look like a pig, but Chinese is only so filling, and I really haven't eaten all that much in the last two days. Thankfully, Trowa orders something just as insane, settling for a ham and cheese omelet, a side of French toast and hash browns.

We talk a bit about his time in the circus fraternity. He used to do a lot of floor gymnastics routines as well as some trapeze and high wire acts. I find it all fascinating and realize that his graceful movements come from his acrobatic background. My thoughts briefly flit back to the night where I offered him a clove after he traversed several balconies to reach mine.

Shit, the cloves. They have got to be disgusting having sat out in August heat and humidity for over a day. I tell Trowa that while we're out I want to stop at the smoke shop to refresh my stash, and he asks that at some point we stop at a crafts store so he can pick up some supplies. He remained vague about what sort of supplies he actually wants, but it would give me a chance to pick up some yarn. Hopefully, if I get it ahead of time, one of my sisters will be kind enough to make baby blankets for the newly born Khushrenada twins.

When the food arrives, we stop talking and practically inhale our meal. I knew I was hungry, but with the first bite of omelet I couldn't think of anything past consuming everything on my plate.

It isn't until I've finished my omelet and pancakes that I actually look at my dining companion. We give each other sheepish smiles, noticing that we both only have potatoes left. "We were hungry." He states and snatches the ketchup before I can. I wrinkle my nose at him in a silent growl, and he laughs out loud and hands me the bottle after dousing his own potatoes. I pour some out over my home fries and finish them up.

I lean back and sip my coffee, feeling almost too full, but it was so good I don't care. Eventually, the waiter brings the check, and I ask Trowa if he is ready to go. With a nod to me, we leave our table, and I pay up at the front. "So we'll go hit up the crafts store. Anything else on your list?" I ask as we walk to the car.

"Probably the supermarket. I don't have any real food and I'm not keen on cafeteria food being my only option."

The comment causes me to laugh. "It actually isn't bad. Especially since crown prince and princess of Sanc are at the school. It wouldn't be smart to prepare less than spectacular food for the children of the man who helps to pay the staffs' very nice salaries. I'm sure though if those two left the quality of the food would diminish a bit."

"Ah, good reason to keep the food decent." He chuckles quietly and we get into the car. "So how do we get to where we need to go?"

"Pull out of the parking lot and turn left." I grin at him. "Then go straight through the traffic light." He nods. "So you don't need any home goods or other things of that nature?"

Trowa shakes his head, his light brown hair swishing over his face, in that way you want to reach over and gently brush the hair back. Bad Quatre! Control is the name of the game. "I should be ok. I have all the furniture type things I need. Got them all my freshmen year. Granted, the apartment is a lot bigger than a dorm, but I really don't need all that much."

"You have a couch?" I ask, wondering how he had gotten all this furniture from the States to Sanc.

"Actually, it is a futon. The dorm beds were horrible, so I had my bed lofted and stuck the futon underneath it.

"So you brought everything with you from America?"

He chuckles. "Yeah. Everything I own, including my car, got loaded into a sea container and shipped here. I put some of the stuff I'd want sooner rather than later into my car, and everything else went into boxes. When the container got here, they helped me move the big stuff into the apartment and the little bit that is left is in storage." I want to ask why he moved everything he owned to Sanc if he was just going to have to move it back to America when he finished school, but for some reason, I get the feeling that he has no wish to return. Maybe it has something to do with his parents, but that really isn't a conversation to be having right now.

"That works. Turn here." I point to the right. "And follow the parking lot around. You'll see the sign for the smoke shop on the left. The crafts store and the supermarket are in the next mall over." Trowa pulls into the oddly shaped strip mall, as it looks more like a half circle than a strip, and parks in a space not too far away from the quaint little shop.

We don't take long there. I grab two packs of cloves, and he grabs some exotic fruit flavor cigarillos and we pay. Despite the fact that the shop is small; the stock is quite diverse and the help friendly and knowledgeable. If I was alone, I would probably have stayed for a while and chatted about cigars and such. Cigar aficionados never cease to amuse me, and I find it fun to banter back and forth with them about something I'm not all that versed in. They humor me and teach me things at the same time. It is not unusual for me to leave the shop with a smile plastered to my face, but since I'm with Trowa, we say friendly farewells and leave.

We get back into the car and head to the other mall. As Trowa pulls into a space, my brow wrinkles as I see Duo's car parked a few spaces down from us.

Trowa glances at me and his brow furls in response to seeing mine doing the same. "What?"

"Duo's car is over there." I say pointing to the Mazda as we get out.

"So?" Trowa looks confused. That was a good question. Why was I worried? Might have something to do with I'm not ready to be picked on because I might actually be dating someone. "You afraid of what Duo is going to say if he sees us acting like a couple?" He asks after a moment of watching me fidget.

"No. Not afraid." He gives me a piercing gaze, and I fidget some more, still trying to figure out why I was even having issues with the possibility of running into my best friend.

Then he smiles and grabs my hand, effectively shaking me from my mental argument. "Then stop worrying and let's go shopping. He might not even be in there. He could be in one of the other shops here." Okay, that is a valid point, and I stop worrying and interlace my fingers with his. Emerald eyes beam at me and a feeling of elation washes through my body. I pray this whole thing with Trowa doesn't backfire on me.

"So yarn for me. What are we getting you?"

"I'd like to pick up a nice sketch book and some pencils. Then maybe roam around a little and see what else they have."

"Sounds like a plan." I give his hand a squeeze, and he lifts my knuckles to his lips and kisses them. As he pulls away, he playfully nips at wrist and I flush bright red. Without thinking, I grab the front of his shirt and pull him into a kiss. Fuck it. I missed kissing so much, so now I have to make up for lost time.

I'm not sure how long we stood in the parking lot swapping saliva – that is kind of crude isn't it? – but when we part we are breathless and flushed. "Come on, let's go shopping before we end up molesting each other in the parking lot." Trowa chuckles and takes a step back.

A stupid, happy, content grin plants itself on my face, and I let Trowa drag me into the crafts store. We both grab a hand basket while continuing to hold hands. There are some large grins on a group of girls we pass as we enter the store. Whether it is the idea of a gay couple openly showing that they're together, the fact that we're pretty boys or both, I don't even want to know. Trowa snickers, leans over and kisses my neck. The simple action causes a delightful shiver to run down my back while a soft breath escapes. The girls titter and skirt off before either one of us decides to make a comment.

"You didn't have to do that." There is mock reprimand in my voice.

Trowa practically snorts and I glare at him. "No, you're right, I didn't." He leans over so that his lips are brushing against my ear and I feel his breath on my neck. "But your reaction is just so wonderful." As he talks, another shiver travels down my spine and a soft, almost silent, moan escapes my lips. "I think I will enjoy seeing how other parts of you react to something that simple." He plants another kiss on my neck and stands up straight.

The flush I can't seem to be rid of for any length of time resurfaces and all words fail me. A shop clerk stands off to our right looking at us sternly. Kind of like: Please don't make out in the store, but if you really have to, don't make out right by the entrance. With a soft tug, I pull Trowa with me towards the back of the store, stopping in the art supply aisle.

My green-eyed beauty puts his basket down and squats in front of the lower shelves full of drawing journals of all different sizes and paper qualities. I feel a gentle brush against my ankle and look down to see Trowa's fingers gently teasing my skin. Allah, when the hell did I lose control of this situation? It is such a simple gesture, but I start to feel warm all over and I know I have to get him to stop before I embarrass myself in the middle of the store.

"Um, Trowa?" My voice sounds weak at best.

"Hum?" Green eyes look up at me as his fingers still brush against my skin.

"You have to stop that." He looks a bit disheartened. "Not because I don't like it. In fact, it is because I like that you have to stop." His fingers disappear for a moment under the hem of my pants, and he draws a light circle on my calf and the warm feeling in my body surges a bit stronger than before.

"Okay." Trowa smiles and stands up with a small and large cloth bound drawing journal. His eyes quickly dart over the pencil selection and grabs a package of regular and colored sketching pencils "Yarn?"

I nod and we clasp hands again and venture to the back of the store where the yarn is kept. As we near the back, I stop and stare at the exit/entrance to the customer bathrooms and see Heero and Duo walking out into the main part of the store. Allah, I don't even want to know. Heero's carrying a basket with some things in it. Mostly yarn, but I can see some other things. Who knows what they are. For all I know, they are having nude arts and crafts time later. Heero's other hand seems to groping Duo who is wearing a pair of cut off jean shorts that should be banned from public wear.

Trowa looks at me with a raised brow and all I can do is shrug back. A soft yelp from Duo turns my attention back to my friends who have somehow managed to put rabbits to shame. Duo's head is thrown back, and his arms are around the Japanese man's neck to help maintain his balance. Heero is biting his boyfriend's collar bone while his free hand roams freely across his back side. I clear my throat as the same attendant who glared at me and Trowa in the front, glares at us again and casts a nasty look to my friends initiating foreplay in the back of the store.

"Hey Q-Man." Duo grins and bounces towards me, my hand still locked with Trowa's. "Whatcha doing here?" He turns his back partially to Trowa and winks at me, which lets me know that he's not so distracted by Heero that he didn't notice that Trowa and I are holding hands.

"You know Duo. The staff doesn't appreciate you making out in their store."

Duo leans closer. "All things considering we are as well behaved as possible." He whispers and backs up a hop and grins at Trowa. "So ya didn't answer my question Q." Duo pries and Heero walks up quietly behind his boyfriend slipping an arm around the tattooed man's lithe waist.

"I needed new journals and pencils." Trowa offers Duo a look into his basket.

"And I need to get yarn." Heero raises and dark brow. "I'm going to try to enlist one of my sisters to make baby blankets for Treize and Lady. So I figured I would have more of a chance if I already had the materials when I went to beg."

"I was thinking of making something for them too." Heero says quietly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"You're such a woman Hee-chan." Duo says teasingly, which earns him an icy glare.

"That's not what you were saying earlier you fag." Heero snaps back quietly.

"Uh-huh. You crochet and you cook better than most women I know." Duo replies, not missing a beat.

Heero looks amused. "That's not saying much love, since all the women you know refuse to be the 'little woman in kitchen'. I'm pretty sure that Noin could out-cook me any day. She just doesn't because she doesn't have free reign of Zechs' kitchen anymore." Heero presses a kiss to his boyfriend's lips, effectively shutting him up.

Heero's kinda cute when he does things that don't quite fit with the persona he shows to everyone else. His actions are usually a little awkward, but almost always well meaning. I know Duo did that to him. I was able to see beneath Heero's prickly exterior, but Duo was the one that cracked it and found a warm and loving teddy bear. I always find it amusing when that side pops up, now being one of those occasions.

Duo slinks up to Heero and slips a hand into the back pocket of his boyfriend's more appropriate jean shorts. Heero doesn't seem to take notice of Duo wiggling next to him and absently begins to fondle one of the skeins of yarn in his basket and I move to take it out of the basket to look at it, but he stops me. "Ah." Heero's eyes go wide, and he quickly takes a step back and after angling the basket a little he hands me one of the skeins. "Here."

I take the soft skein from him, curious as to what the cause for the panic was and look it over. It is a dual colored thread; a royal purple mixed with a cobalt blue. "You really are something Heero." I hand the skein to Trowa to look at.

Duo grins. "He's such a romantic, he just doesn't know it." Heero growls softly and Duo kisses him gently on the cheek, whispering something softly into the Japanese man's ear before pulling away. "So wadya think Trowa?"

As I turn my head to look at Trowa, I see him twining the yarn around his long fingers. "I think the yarn happens to be in the same color family as both of your eyes."

"Rather astute I must say." I glance at Heero, who seems to be semi uncomfortable and ready to drag Duo out of the store by his braid.

"There has got to be some blue/green yarn around." Heero lights up at Trowa's suggestion. "Sort of like a theme." Nice save by my not yet boyfriend.

"I think that is a good idea." Duo chimes. "But Heero and me have got to get going. Lots of things to do today." He says a bit overly animated, almost like he's up to something.

"Ok." I say uneasily and Heero gives his boyfriend an odd look.

"Well we do." The man with the braid replies with a wry grin.

"Hn," is Heero's only response as he lets Duo drag him away.

"Later Q-Man. Later Trowa." Duo says loudly over his shoulder as they walk towards the registers.

I sigh and shake my head, Trowa looks at me, his eyes asking to be told what is going on in my mind. "They go from being prim and proper in public to being obscene. I don't get it. A day ago Duo was telling Heero that they were breaking up, and now they are groping each other in the arts and crafts store." I say a bit quieter.

"It looked like Duo was doing most of the groping. Heero looked a little uncomfortable toward the end there." Trowa grins, laughter in his green eyes, which melted away when he realized I had grown quiet. "Hey." He tilts my chin up and places a comforting kiss on my lips. "You ok?"

"Yeah." I mumble. "We can talk in the car." I'm not so sure why I am suddenly so melancholy. Needless to say, it worries me a little, but I think talking it out will help. I was ok, more than ok, until I saw Heero and Duo being so cute and lovely.

"You're thinking too much." Trowa whispers to me.

I look at him confused. "How do you know?"

"Because you got quiet and there was a distant look in your eyes. I could, of course, be wrong." He wraps an arm around my waist, and I push my depression away for a bit longer. With a little bit of force, a smile teases at my lips.

He chuckles and gives me another kiss. "We can come back and shop for yarn."

With a nod I agree. "We should still go to the grocery store and then get back to the apartments so we can get you settled in."

"That works for me." Trowa says with a small nod and gently takes my hand.

We go up to the front and Trowa pays for his things and then we head across the parking lot to get some groceries. It is a quick run, and he just gets a hand basket worth of supplies. I ask him if that's all he needs, and he assures me it is all he needs right now. It might be because I am feeling self-destructive, but for some reason it seems like he's just being nice and putting up with my change in mood.

Remaining pleasant company is proving to be difficult, and I don't want him to think that I don't like him. Fuck, I should be happy. Elated that someone has come along that seems to want me for me, not for my name or my fortune. But I'm not, and it frustrates me to the point where tears threaten.

As we drive back to the apartments, I get even quieter and the only sounds that can be heard are those of the air conditioning and the soft hum of the engine. Trowa keeps glancing my way with a worried expression on his face. I draw my legs up to my chest in the passenger's seat and hold them close. So it isn't exactly a very safe position to be in while the car is moving, but at least I am wearing my seat belt. That's something, isn't it?

Trowa finally pulls into my parking space at the apartments, shifts to reverse, turns off the car and looks at me. "Quatre?" His voice is gentle, but laden with worry. "Are you ok?"

I nod weakly, still clutching my legs to my chest.

"Did I do something wrong?" Oh shit, I didn't think he would think that my mood was a result of something he did.

"Oh, no." The answer comes out in a rush as I look at him.

He scrutinizes me for a moment and finally nods. "Come on, I'll take you upstairs. You look like you need to rest."

"I should help you un-pack." I whisper.

"It's ok. I really don't have a whole lot to unpack, just biggish stuff, and I don't need any of it right now. So come on." Trowa pulls the keys out of the ignition, gets out of the car, gently closes his door and walks around the back to open mine. I turn my head to look at him, and he reaches out to gently brush my hand trying to coax me into letting go of my legs. With a long sigh, I do and undo my seat belt, letting myself more or less, slide from the car.

Trowa catches my hand and helps me to stand up straight. He's so gentle. Why aren't I smiling? Why aren't I kissing him silly? Why am I not happy? One of his strong arms wraps around my waist and he guides me out of the way of the door, closes it, set the alarm and starts working his way to the stairs. "You ok with the stairs?"

I nod weakly again knowing that it will be a hassle trying to get myself up the stairs, but it was closer than going to the elevator and I don't want to be any more of a problem for Trowa than I've already been.

The beautiful man next to me keeps his arms around my waist as we ascend the stairs, and he doesn't let go as we stand in front of my apartment door. "I need the keys Quatre." I nod again and fish the house keys out of my jeans pocket and hand them to him, wishing I could say something. Anything at all, but the words just don't come. Like talking takes too much energy right now.

Trowa opens the door walks me in. "You want any help? With anything?"

I shake my head. "No, thanks though." I wrap my arms around him tightly. "Please don't think you did anything wrong. I'm sorry." Tears begin to sting my eyes, and I nuzzle my face into his shirt in attempts to hide the fact that I am about to start crying.

His arms wrap around me just as tightly. "Do you want me to stay?"

"Not right now. I think I'm just going to curl up in bed." I tell him quietly.

"Ok, but promise me if you need anything call me or come and knock on my door." I nod and he pulls away from me slightly, his arms not leaving my waist.

"I don't want to be a burden." The tears sting a bit stronger, but they aren't flowing yet.

He leans down slightly and kisses me. "You're not. So promise me."

"Ok. I promise."

He kisses me again. "Alright. I'll come by later tonight and check on you."

"I'll probably be asleep, so don't get worried if I don't answer." I know I'm not going to do something stupid, but I know I'll probably be crashing soon despite the fact that it is only around two in the afternoon.

Trowa bestows another kiss that lingers a bit longer, and I return the kiss to show that I do appreciate it, but the energy really isn't there to put the passion into it. With a tight squeeze, we finally separate. His green eyes linger on me for a moment, and then he smiles and leaves my apartment, closing the door softly behind him.

I stand in front of the door for a minute or so then finally lock the dead bolt. Slowly, I make my way to my room, shedding my clothes haphazardly as I go. Before entering my room, I drop the temp on the AC down a few notches so that snuggling in my bed is that much more comfortable. Upon entering my room, I shed boxers and replace them with a pair of pajama bottoms then crawl into bed, pull the covers up and curl into a tight ball. I start to cry, but for the life of me I can't figure out why, everything is wonderful. Finally, I fall into a fitful, miserable sleep.


	10. A Little Help From Our Friends

I'm not sure what time it is, but I know that it is a lot warmer in my room than it usually is, especially since I dropped the temp in the apartment to 'fucking cold'. I roll over and a foreign scent permeates my senses, cutting through the fog of sleep. As consciousness comes to me, I feel strong arms holding me close. It is not the first time I have woken up to someone in my bed that wasn't there when I went to sleep, but this person does not smell like Duo or Heero. In fact, it smells like… "Trowa?" I ask quietly as I open my eyes only to see the lightly tanned skin of his neck.

"Hi." He replies softly and gives me a gentle squeeze. "How are you doing?" Trowa kisses the top of my head.

"Don't know yet. But I have to admit, this is a glorious way to wake up. It isn't a dream, is it?"

He chuckles so softly, I feel it more than hear it. "No. When you didn't show up for running this morning, Duo took me out shopping."

"'Tempt Quatre out of bed' provisions?" I ask with a small smile.

"Yup. Hopefully he didn't steer me wrong."

"I doubt he did. I'm rather predictable when it comes to comfort food"

"So, will it work?"

"What work?"

"Get you out of bed?"

I smile. "Yeah, but I think more so because you are the one with the provisions. I need a shower though. I feel grimy."

Trowa moves just enough so that he can see me. His emerald eyes are full of concern and he kisses me gently. "I was worried." The words are almost too soft to hear.

"Let's get showered, then we'll talk and eat ice cream." He nods and kisses me again before sliding out of my bed. As his feet make contact with the floor, he raises his hands over his head and stretches, eyes closed as he does so. I watch with great fascination as he does this, noting the way his lean chest muscles flex and stretch as his torso bends. Even stretching the man has a grace about him that puts even the most talented dancers and acrobats to shame.

"I'll be right back." He gives me a small mischievous smile, grabs his shirt off the floor and pulls it over his head.

I slip out of bed right behind him and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head on his back. "Thank you Trowa."

One of his hands grasps mine. "You don't have to thank me, you know."

"No, I need too. People have known each other for more than four days and have done less. It means a lot to me." With a fluid motion, he takes one of my hands and brings it gently to his lips. My breath hitches in my chest, and I close my eyes. Allah, I really hope he remains this perfect.

A few moments later, he is exiting my apartment and as soon as the door closes, I grab my toothbrush, slather toothpaste on it and jump into the shower. As the hot water flows over my head, I close my eyes and vigorously brush the sleep from my mouth. I realize, at this moment, that I have no clue what time it is. Obviously late enough that Duo had time to take Trowa to the grocery store for emergency rations, but I was so happy to see Trowa next to me that time doesn't seem to matter.

Then it dawns on me. Duo took Trowa to the grocery store, which means Duo was talking. This realization worries me immensely. My best friend always has the best of intentions, but sometimes he tends to share more than he should, especially things he really doesn't have the right to share. For the second time in two days, I pray that my best friend has not screwed me over with his good intentions.

The shower feels wonderful, and I am almost hesitant to leave its relaxing cocoon. But it doesn't take much for those exotic green eyes to appear in my mind's eye, so wonderfully reminding me that the glorious man should be on his way back to see me. Oh Allah, I think I will break if he is just using me. Slowly, I turn the shower off, still lost in thought, hoping that Allah, fate or whatever divine being out there watching over me has finally decided that they have thrown enough, sniveling, using, needy, egotistical, self-centered assholes at me and that they finally want to give me someone brilliant and wonderful.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I pick up the clothes I had slept in, and throw them into the hamper in the bathroom and open the door. The steam billows from the room as it meets the air conditioned living room. Trowa is sitting on the couch, a small smile on his face. I feel my face heat as his emerald eyes look over my body and all I want at this moment is to have his hands doing the exploration as well. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, begging my body to calm down.

"Quatre?" He asks softly.

"Ah…" I begin to stutter. "I should get changed." My face burns as it becomes clear he caught me spacing out. He smiles and nods while I make a hasty retreat to my room, which I seem to be doing a lot of lately. Allah, I'm being so damn childish. Why is this so difficult? It shouldn't be. I'm an adult, he's an adult. Why can't I act like one and not run away constantly like I'm a grade school student with a crush on someone?

I pull on a clean set of flannel pajama bottoms, as I am not intending on leaving the apartment today, toss my towel haphazardly onto my bed and pull out a super soft black t-shirt. As I exit my room, I pull the shirt over my head and head towards the couch. Before I can sit down, Trowa gently grabs my waist and pulls me towards him, slowly snaking his arms around me as I get closer to him. I wrap my arms around his neck as he rests his head on my chest.

"Feel any better?"

"Vastly. I'm sorry Trowa. I feel so stupid for acting the way I did yesterday." There is a slight ting of sadness in my voice and some of yesterday's darkness still lingers in my mind, despite the part of me that feels very happy to have him with me. "What did Duo tell you when you went for provisions?"

He tenses just a bit, and I can feel a rush of nervousness radiate from him. "He told me that you suffer from depression and that I should try to get you to take your medication."

A soft, bitter laugh escapes my lips. "I figured. He doesn't stop trying."

He looks up at me. "I know this probably isn't really my business, as I'm not quite sure what we are, but why don't you?"

I sigh. "It's stupid."

"Stupid, as in, it isn't a good reason?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Ok." He says with a slight grin. "Let's hear this stupid reason."

"I don't want to be stuck on medication forever. That, and part of me doesn't want to admit that there is something wrong. So, maybe, if I ignore the problem it will go away and usually it does rather quickly."

"Quatre, there isn't a problem with admitting that there is something wrong. You strike me as someone who loves life." I nod in agreement. "So why suffer through moments that make life dark when you don't need too?"

As I mull over his words, I maneuver a little so I can sit down next to him, my back resting against the arm of the couch and my knees drawn up to my chest. I know if someone was reading my body language, they would say I was closing up, but it feels safer like this right now. "Sometimes I feel like I need to go through it."

Trowa's brow creases with worry. "Why? No one should have to go through that."

"I think it is some divine punishment." I answer quietly.

"What could you possibly have done to have incurred the wrath of the divine?"

"Hum, well, let me see. I killed my mother and out of thirty children, my parents' only son turns out of be a fucking fag who won't carry on the family name, at least not in the traditional way. I've let my father down in every single possible way. And while my sisters make breakthroughs daily in the sciences, I have absolutely nothing to contribute to anything." The words leave my tongue harshly, and Trowa winces as I speak. When I stop talking, I feel the tears threatening in the corner of my eyes.

Trowa turns and sits cross-legged, his shins touching mine, and wraps his arms around my legs. "First, how did you kill your mother?"

Tears start to glide down my face. "She wasn't supposed to have children. Not the natural way. Her body was too weak and complications arose, and she died three months after I was born. I never knew her, but I'm the reason she's dead."

He raises his right hand and wipes the tears from my cheek with his thumb. "How do you know something else might not have taken her life instead? An accident or some random stranger could have claimed her life. At least she was able to offer the world something wonderful before she left."

His voice is soothing, and I lean into his hand slightly. "But it is my fault she's dead."

He shakes his head patiently. "No. It was your parents' decision. You had absolutely no say in the matter. So don't blame yourself for something that you couldn't have possibly controlled." He smiles gently and kisses my knee. "What kind of scientists are in your family?"

My brow furls in confusion. "All kinds, my father, by schooling, is a genetic scientist. He's the reason I have 29 sisters."

"Then he should know you didn't choose to be a homosexual." (1)

"I know, but sometimes I feel like I owe it to him to at least try to be 'normal.'"

"Quatre, listen to yourself. How is making yourself miserable going to do anything positive? I don't think I could love life if I was pretending to be something I'm not. And think of how many people could get hurt if you 'tried.' You, first and foremost. Then the woman you were trying to be _normal_ with. People can tell when the spark isn't there. She'll more than likely eventually notice that you're eyes linger just a little longer in appreciation on men then they do women. Then there is everyone around you. What would your best friend say to you, if you all the sudden decided to go out with a girl?"

I remain quiet as he calmly gives me reasons as to why my line of thinking is backasswards, but when he mentions Duo, I can't help but laugh. "He'd wonder where the Quatre he's known forever went and demand to have him back. Allah, why is this so hard?" Frustration tinges my words, and I rest my forehead on my knees so I don't have to look into his eyes. For some reason I have no will when I look into those pools of emerald green.

"Quatre, I really can't see why the divines would feel the need to punish you. If you believe in something, then doesn't that which watches over us, plan our path? They place obstacles in our path and those obstacles either make or break us. Those who make it past them, learn from the experience and grow stronger. Those that don't make it past them, find themselves defeated and broken. Depression is one of the road blocks on the path. Medicine can combat it. It is just another obstacle to overcome, though it does tend to be somewhat of a reoccurring obstacle, but each time you progress past it, you can learn something from the experience. There is no shame in getting a little help."

His voice is starting to get a little raspy, and I look at him. "Do you need some water?"

He shakes his head. "No. Don't usually talk this much."

I laugh quietly. "I'll take the medicine because you asked me."

"I don't want you to take the medicine because of me. I want you to take it because you want to."

I should have known he would answer this way. "I can't promise anything. But I'll try." My answer carefully avoids the topic of who I am actually doing this for and by the way his eyes are narrowing at me, he's on to my little game.

"I guess that is a start." He smiles and rocks forward, catching my lips in a soft kiss. "How about I make some cheese bread up and we curl up on the couch and watch a movie?"

Allah, I think I could kiss him all day. A goofy grin dances across my lips. "I think I'm up for that."

Trowa leans over and gives me a kiss with a bit more substance. Though tame, there is a wonderful hint of toe-tingling heat, and I keep myself from putting my knees down and pulling him on top of me. He breaks the kiss and presses his cheek to mine so I can feel his lips on my neck. "More later…promise." His voice is soft and sexy and his lips doubly so as he kisses my neck and slips off to the kitchen.

I stretch out, arching my back over the arm of the couch, so I can watch him while he works. Maybe I should start taking the medication again. Just because I can't seem to get myself to care, doesn't mean that everyone around me doesn't care as well. With a slight twist, I roll off the couch, land on my feet and walk head towards the kitchen.

As he puts the bread knife down, I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him. "I still don't understand why you are doing all of this."

"What do you mean?" He responds, turning in my arms so he can see me.

"I mean, why are you doing all of this? We haven't known each other all that long and the skeptical side of me thinks that you're doing all of this with some sort of angle. Like you're going to get whatever it is you want and leave with your conquest." I say quietly, not exactly meeting his gaze.

"Quatre." He gently grasps my head with his hands and tilts it so I am looking into his eyes. "I don't want a conquest and the only angle I have is to be with you. I can't explain it; there is just something about you that makes me extremely happy. Attraction doesn't always make sense. I'd like to be your boyfriend, that is, if you want one. I can't guarantee that I won't inadvertently hurt you, just like you can't guarantee that you won't inadvertently hurt me. We're human and misunderstandings abound so anything can happen."

I look at him skeptically. "But four days ago you didn't know you were gay."

He nods. "True, but am I to be condemned and not trusted because of that? How did you know?"

Well, he has a point. "I played in a youth orchestra in middle school, sat first chair violin, and I fell for the second chair player. He went to another school and we saw each other on weekends. At first, we just thought of each other as friends, and then we began to catch ourselves looking at each other a bit more than friends would. Eventually, I invited him over to stay the night, telling my father we needed to do a lot of practicing for an upcoming concert, as we were performing pieces that featured duel soloists. We practiced late into the night and rose early to keep doing it. What my father didn't know is that the first night he stayed over we became a little more than just friends."

"So it took some guy from a different school to ignite that passion within you?"

By Allah, he's good. "Yes."

"But you went to a co-ed school."

"Yes."

"So, why did it take someone at another school to tip you off? There must have been some stunning creatures at your school."

"There were, but none of them made my heart skip a beat." I reply, knowing I am defeated.

He cracks a smile, knowing he is victorious. "So it took me a few years longer to find that person who makes my heart skip a beat." I feel his thumbs gently travel over my cheeks, and I flush at the simple action. "You were just lucky enough to figure it out earlier on."

"But aren't you disturbed by this realization? I can't imagine going through the mental battle I went through when I was thirteen, now."

He shrugs and kisses me gently. "Not really. I think because somehow it makes sense in my mind. I've met some truly wonderful, brilliant and practically perfect women, but not one of them sparked anything in me. As creepy and stalkerish as this sounds, I saw you walking to the LGBTQ+ meeting and found myself inexplicably drawn to you. That's how come I ended up in the meeting looking rather dazed. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I followed a feeling and here I am, looking into the most stunning set of turquoise eyes I have ever seen, while trying with all my might not to constantly kiss you silly."

I grin goofily at his words, and I feel the warmth and sincerity rush from him. It is my turn to kiss him, and I pull him close so that our bodies are flush with each other. The kiss is one of those eyes closed, blissful kisses, and I decide to up the ante by teasing his bottom lip with my tongue. I feel the sides of his mouth turn up into a smile and he teases back and slowly the kiss deepens. Not to that desperate, passion hungry level, though. It remains carefree and playful, while adding a sweetness that makes my stomach flutter and heat spread throughout my body.

We let the kiss end when it wants to, letting the natural rhythm dictate the pace. "You should go back to the couch and pick out a movie and let me finish making bread."

"I know, but I'm going to get the medication out of the cabinet before I do."

Trowa grins at me and he slowly slides his hands from my cheeks and down my arms, before he hugs me. "Ok. You want cider? Or something else?"

"Cider is fine. I'll take it cold since we're going to be watching the movie together. I'm pretty sure that you next to me will be enough to keep me warm." I give him a wink as I wiggle my way out of his arms and grab the medicine bottle out of the cabinet. Then, leaving Trowa to finish making cheesy bread, I return to the living room and grab _The Princess Bride_ off the DVD rack, feeling in the mood for a little romance with my fantasy adventure comedy.

With the disc in place, I grab the remotes, sit on the couch and place the bottle on the table. In the back of my mind, I still feel the darkness of depression, but I can't help but smile happily to myself as I hear Trowa moving around in the kitchen. I turn around on the couch so I am kneeling and resting my arms on the back and lay my head on my arms. He moves with a grace that not even the Prince of Sanc possesses, which I can only associate with the fact that he is a gymnast. He too, is wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and they billow as he moves. The form-fitting heather t-shirt almost hides the smooth muscles on his back and chest. Muscles that, all of the sudden, I crave to let my hands explore.

I watch him as he bakes the bread and every once and a while, he looks over his shoulder and smiles at me. While the cheesy bread bakes, he prepares the cider and gets dishes out to put the bread on. He walks the glasses over to the table and sets them down. Before he returns to the kitchen, he kisses my neck from behind, and again I find myself grinning from ear to ear.

By the time the bread finishes baking, he is just finishing cleaning up the kitchen and moments later, there is cheese bread on the coffee table along with two small plates. I thank him with a grateful smile and steal a kiss before turning on the television to watch the movie. We eat in relative silence, and I sit contently next to him with our shoulders touching, taking a moment to take the medication I have been so unwilling to take in the past.

As we finish our food, he pushes me forward and lies down on his side, stretching out on the couch. I grin and his hand goes to my waist and gently guides me to lie in front of him. I do so and he spoons up behind me holding me close. My body relaxes into his, and I nuzzle his bicep that is acting as my pillow. In fact, I'm so relaxed I begin to feel drowsy, despite the fact that I have done almost nothing but sleep for the last few days. But this is a happy sort of drowsy. One that is not stemmed from the mental stress of a friend in need or the mental stress of depression, no, this is a completely content sort of drowsy, stemming from the warmth and protection Trowa emanates.

My eyes lids become heavy, and I close them for a bit of a rest just as Buttercup pushes Wesley down the hill.


	11. Watching the Sun Rise

I wake to the sound of steady breathing next to me and the scent I know belongs to Trowa. The room is dark, but I can tell by the cushioning beneath me that I am not still on the couch. Trowa must have carried me in here when I fell asleep watching the movie. I move a little and Trowa's arms tighten around me. "Trowa I need to get up for a moment." He grumbles something unintelligible and rolls a little, freeing me enough to climb over him to get out of the bed.

Stumbling in the dark, I make my way to the bathroom, turn the light on, use the facilities and look at myself in the mirror as I wash my hands. My hair is all over the place, having decided the Mohawk look is in while I was asleep. I glance quickly at the radio/cd player I keep in the bathroom for the time of night. The LCD displays the time as two twenty-eight in the morning. With a sigh, I try to tame my hair and decide that ice cream sounds like a wonderful idea for an early morning snack.

Carefully treading to the kitchen so as to not wake Trowa, I retrieve my comfort dessert, a large spoon and a new movie to amuse myself with before taking up a position on the couch to I eat my very unhealthy, chocolaty goodness. The movie can't be something loud, it would be disruptive in the middle of the night, so I decide on the silliness that is _Office Space_.

Maybe twenty minutes into the movie Trowa wanders out of my room looking about slightly confused. I bounce over the couch to flick the light switches by the door on so he can see without crashing into anything.

"You ok?" He asks me drowsily.

"Yup. All the sleep in the last few days finally registered and I'm up and wired. I hope I didn't wake you."

He shakes his head, his long bangs completely cover his face. "Not really. I think I sensed you weren't there, so I went to find you and make sure you were ok."

"Nope. I'm fi…" I speak too soon as something gets underfoot and nothing I do can keep me from falling on my ass. "Fuck." I grumble as I barely miss hitting my head on the door handle.

"Quatre! Are you hurt?" Trowa asks as he immediately wakes up and bounds towards me.

"Aside from being rather embarrassed with a slightly sore bum, I'm ok. What the hell?" I look around for the cause of my fall.

Trowa kneels next to me and picks up a long white envelope that I figure, due to the indentation from my heel, is the reason for my loss of balance. He hands it to me and I look at it. There is nothing special about it and I turn it over, noting that the envelope is not sealed. "What the hell." I shrug and remove two smaller envelops and a tri-folded piece of paper. The two smaller envelopes are made of fine linen paper and are sealed with silver wax. On the front of one of them, written in katakana, is my name, on the other, written in a similar fashion, is Trowa's.

I hand Trowa's envelope to him and he looks at me in confusion. "It is your name in katakana, it is Heero's writing." He nods and takes it from me. I look at the folded piece of paper and decide that it can wait since it isn't as fancy as the envelopes with it. Taking care not to rip the paper, I open the wax seal and pull out the card inside. Trowa does the same.

My mouth hangs open in disbelief as I read the simple embossed card.

_You are cordially invited to the Wedding of  
_ _Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell.  
_ _Please join us at the Peacecraft Palace  
_ _On the first Saturday of September.  
_ _The Ceremony will take place at 11:00 in the Gardens  
_ _Followed by a reception at 12:00 in the Great Hall._

_Please RSVP to Heero or Duo by this coming Saturday._

"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is the reason why Heero was acting oddly." Trowa says with a slight grin.

I nod weakly, unfold the accompanying piece of paper and read what is written there in Duo's neat, yet unique handwriting.

_Hey Q-Ball,  
_ _Feel free to kick my ass later, but I wanted it to be a surprise for you. I gave you  
_ _Trowa's invite just in case you didn't want him to come. Though, I hope for your  
_ _sake that he is as good for you as he seems.  
_ _So come over sometime today if you can separate yourself from that hunk of a  
_ _man and we'll talk some more, but give a ring before you do so, just to be safe.  
_ _Love ya Q-man and thanks for everything.  
_ _  
_ _-_ _Duo_

"Well that leaves a lot of things unanswered." Trowa looks at me and I hand the little note over to him.

"So, do you want me come?"

A grin crosses my lips. "In more than one way." I whisper to him suggestively and his face flushes as he processes my words. "But as much as I want one of those right now, I don't want to mess this up by rushing into everything."

"Sex can strengthen a relationship." He points out.

"True, but it can also destroy a relationship very quickly and I really have no wish to test which path that would lead us down at this very moment. I know I haven't been completely with it these last few days and I would really like the chance to worry about my life and not my best friend's. Give you a chance to meet the Quatre that isn't falling apart behind the scenes." I laugh. "Though, you have seen me in a pretty pathetic state. I guess it is good that you've seen me like that, at least you know what you are getting into."

"Quatre. I'm in no rush. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to explore every inch of you with fingers and lips, but for some reason, far beyond my comprehension, I have no wish to do anything until you give me the go." He says quietly as he takes my hand and holds it between his two hands.

If I could melt into a puddle of goo, I would right now. All the wonderful resolve to take it slow and make sure the foundation for the relationship is laid down and dried before starting to build the bedroom starts to slip from me. I want nothing more than to jump him and show him just how wonderful fingers and lips can be. I steel my resolve and quickly do something before fingers move without me telling them too.

"You want to grab your ice cream and we'll finish watching the movie?" I ask as I keep hold of his hands and start to get up. "Or do you want to go back to sleep? I'm not sure if I can sleep though, I'm a bit wired at the moment."

"I don't think I want to go back to sleep." He lithely gets to his feet, still holding my hand.

Then genius strikes me. "Do you want to drive out to the coast to watch the sunrise and have breakfast on the beach?"

Trowa's emerald light up. "I would love to."

"Good. We'll stop somewhere and pick up provisions."

"Are we going in pajamas?" Trowa asks me with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I am. You don't have to though."

He scoffs silently. "If Quatre Winner has decided to wear pajamas to the beach, who am I to argue with him?" He grins and pulls me into his arms and I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Um. Well, you're my boyfriend. So, being as such, you have every right to express your feelings and opinions to me." I know he mentioned that he wanted to be my boyfriend last night, so why not just make it official.

His lips turn up in a slightly lop-sided grin. "Mmm, I like the sound of that." He murmurs as he nuzzles my neck.

"Me too." I say quietly and bare my neck to him a little more, enjoying the feeling of his lips and breath on my skin. With a soft groan of annoyance, I push him away. "Come on. We need to get going if we're going to make it before the sun rises." He nods dumbly and waits while I gather my wallet and keys. As I am about to walk out the door, I remember the ice cream. With a jump over the couch, I grab the pint filled with chocolate goo, put the cover back on and stick it into the freezer.

Trowa is just watching me with an amused look on his face as I run around. "Like you never forget anything." I chide as I walk past him out into the hallway.

"Can't remember ever forgetting anything." He replies with a grin and a wink closing the door behind him.

I lock the door and we head down to the garage to retrieve the Rover and its beach equipment. The clock in the car shows the time to be three forty-five, which means we should be to the coast with a little time to spare, even after getting picnic provisions.

After stopping for coffee, juice, two muffins and two bagels, one with cream cheese for Trowa and one with butter for me, we head towards one of the more secluded beaches in the area. We roll all the windows down, open the moon roof and rock out to the Beatles as I drive just a tad over the speed limit, but I figure it is four in the morning and I'm on a less traveled road, it shouldn't be able to get in too much trouble.

Trowa reaches over and takes hold of my hand as I drive. Such a simple gesture, but it makes me so warm and fuzzy inside. It is almost four thirty and the sky is just beginning to lighten on the ocean's horizon. I drive straight onto the beach and park just a little ways in.

"We're allowed to do this?" He asks skeptically.

"Yup. This bit of land belongs to the Peacecrafts. There is a little garage a bit of the ways down the beach where the ATVs are kept, so this sand is used to seeing tire tracks."

Trowa chuckles. "So that is why we took the SUV. I wouldn't want to try to get the Mini or the Beamer out of the sand."

"Me neither. Don't even want to try it." I hop out of the car and go around to the back to retrieve the blanket while Trowa grabs our bag of goodies and the coffees. He hands me my cup and we walk hand in hand to the water. We settle just past where the water reaches and relax.

"What do you have planned for today?" Trowa asks me as he digs his bagel out of the bag.

"I was thinking about going to see Duo and Heero and congratulate them face to face."

Trowa nods and pushes his bangs out of his eyes and behind his ear. "Do you want to do dinner then?"

I grin happily at his silent understanding that I want to go visit my friends alone. I was not looking forward to the awkward explanation as to why I don't want him to come with me. "I'd like that a lot. Have any thoughts?"

"Not right now. I don't want to think right now. Just relax and be with you while the sun rises." He smiles sweetly and places a tender kiss on my lips. Then with a quick, fluid motion he places himself behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, gently pulling me back into his arms.

He kisses my neck and rests his chin on my shoulder. I think being held is one of my favorite things in the world. Right along with kissing and cuddling. Probably would add making love in there, but haven't done that since high school so it doesn't get added to the list. There is a slight ocean breeze, which, to me, adds to the intimate atmosphere we already have.

As the sun starts to rise in earnest, Trowa starts to plant little kisses on my neck and I lean back and bare my neck to him in subtle encouragement. I figure he takes my action as a sign that his attention is quite welcome as he tentatively starts running his hands over my chest. Much to both my delight and dismay, he does not venture below my shirt, showing that he is honorable and disciplined enough to control his hands.

As a soft whimper of delight escapes my lips, I decide that I've had enough of this one sided exploration and as gracefully as possible, reposition myself so I am face to face with Trowa, straddling his legs. "I like this better." I whisper before kissing him senseless.

It does not take long for my id to act on its own and begin to seek the hem of his shirt. We stop kissing long enough for me to make my intentions to remove his shirt clear; he grins and lifts his arms up. I toss it aside so it lands on the blanket and immediately put my hands to his skin. He is warm to the touch, but not from the environment, it is the sort of heat that comes when you blush.

We resume our assault on each others mouths as I let my hands explore his upper body, letting my hands see rather than my eyes. This has a rather lovely effect, as he begins to squirm slightly as my hands pass over rippling muscles. So, he's incredibly sensitive. I smirk to myself. This is going to be so fun.

I break our kiss with a smile and let my lips brush against his right ear before planting kisses down his long graceful neck. His breath catches in his throat as I bite him gently on his shoulder. "Off." He orders breathlessly as he pulls my shirt over my head, tossing it in the general direction that his had gone. We take a moment to look at each other, our skin glowing a warm orange color as the sun starts its ascent in the sky.

The need to see his face fully drives me to sweep the wayward bangs off of his face, revealing his intoxicating emerald eyes. He looks me over with a mix of need, appreciation and warmth. "You're stunning." He whispers as he runs his hands down my sides, resting them at the waist of my pajama bottoms.

I roll my hips slightly, grinding against him lightly, finding a bit of ease for the fire I know I'm not going to be able to do anything about if I want to stand firm on my whole 'I shouldn't have sex with him yet' bit. My resolve slips slightly with the soft moan that escapes his lips while I tease. "You've seen me with my shirt off before."

"But I wasn't able to touch you then." He bucks his hips gently, eliciting the same moan out of my lips, while his hands travel all over my torso, touching and tracing every muscle and expanse of skin he can reach.

"And now that you can, it changes things?" He nods mutely and trails his lips down my chest brushing one a nipple as he does so, which sends waves of electricity through my body and I squirm. He cocks a slight smile and does it again and I whimper more. "So this doesn't bother you?" I manage to say as I let my hands explore his chest.

"What bother?" He mutters between kisses to my sternum.

"This." I grind against him again. "With a guy."

Trowa shakes his head, his bangs falling in his face again. "No." He grunts slightly as our clothed crotches meet. "Most girls are soft with curves and breasts. I never really liked those kinds of girls. I always liked the ones that were almost boyish, the athletes. Fit, flattish and lacking in the usual curves. You…" He runs his hands over my chest and down my sides. "…are perfect."

For some reason this strikes me as an odd comment. I don't know if I should be flattered or not. "I'm perfect because I look like the type of girl you like?"

He makes a face. "No, you're perfect because you're you. And I'm defiantly not comparing you to any girl." He smirks and his eyes dart down to my tented pants then back to my face. "I am absolutely certain that I find you attractive because you are male. Nothing about you reminds me of a woman and that is a very good thing." His hands move again from my hips, over my thighs, his fingers curling to the inner thigh, but careful to avoid my straining erection. As his hands move, I involuntarily thrust my hips trying to make contact with some part of his body

"Do you really want that Quatre?"

A whimper escapes my throat and I place my head on his shoulder. "Yes and no. I want everything, but I don't want to rush anything."

"Then don't. I don't intend on going anywhere, unless you tell me too and I don't mind going at whatever speed you want to go. You've been through a lot of things these last few days. Both good and bad, but I don't want the bad parts looming over something that should be enjoyable and wonderful for us both."

Allah, how is he able to say the most perfect things? "Did you take lessons on how to say the right things in the right moments?"

He smiles slightly and shakes his head. "No, but I tend to watch people and listen more than I talk. Careful observation of a scene can tell you a lot about what to say when you need to."

I throw my arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, but trust me when I say that this doesn't need any thanks."

I open my mouth to say something else and he stops me with a kiss. "Don't think anymore. Just relax." I nod mutely and he kisses me again.

We spend another hour or so on the beach, touching and kissing everything not covered by our pajama bottoms. The sun has risen high enough in the sky to become uncomfortable and we both can feel the rays practically scorching our skin. Shaking out our shirts and throwing them back on, we grab our stuff and make our way back to the car. I grab two bottles of water from the back after I throw the blanket and trash next to them.

The trip back to our apartments is very much like the trip to the beach, save for we are a bit more mussed up than we were to begin with. Not that it's a bad thing. Trowa goes through my music and picks the Beach Boys (rather appropriate, I think) for the ride home. Once again we hold hands, fingers interlocking for the entire ride.

The apartments looming on the horizon mean our little escape is over, but at least we had this one. Who knows when we're going to get a chance for another one of these trips when school starts tomorrow. But I don't have to think about that just yet, tomorrow is still several hours away and I still have to get the juicy scoop on what happened with Heero and Duo as well as have dinner with my boyfriend.

Trowa and I part ways at my door after a rather inappropriate make-out session in the hall. I jump into the shower and wash the brine off my skin and the sand out of my hair. All of which I would gladly see again if it meant having another morning like this one. Once out, I dress, take my anti-depression drugs and call Duo, which goes to voicemail. I leave the message that I am on my way over and that I am calling Heero's phone as well and letting him know the same thing. Unsurprisingly, I get Heero's voicemail as well. Heh, they can't say I didn't call. Not that it really matters. It wouldn't be the first time I walked into their house while they were having sex.

From shower to car, it takes me a record ten minutes for everything and I am on my way over to the Yuy-Maxwell abode. I stop and get coffee for all three of us, as well as some sandwiches. If they don't want them now, I know they'll eat them later. As I pull up to the house, I note that both cars are in the driveway, which means they either walked somewhere or they are inside. No matter, keys are a wonderful thing and I let myself inside.


	12. Into the Lion's Den (The Yuy-Maxwell Abode)

As I enter, I hear what I can only describe as screams of completion from both Heero and Duo. Talk about brilliant timing. I chuckle silently and walk into the kitchen to put my goodies down and to wait for the amorous lovers to appear downstairs. While I wait, I go through the stack of mail on the table and pull out the first random magazine in the pile, which happens to be something about off-road racing. Having a certain appreciation of cars, I don't bother to continue my search for material to amuse myself.

I'm not sure how long I spend reading, but Duo is the first one down the stairs. He's wearing a pair of grey sweatpants, the waistband rolled down so low that it indecently shows some dark brown curls. I can't help but laugh. His hair is down and he has it pulled over his shoulder, a comb in hand.

"Hey Quatre. How long you've been here?" He asks.

"In time to hear you two finishing up." I chuckle.

"Good timing." He nods and walks to the counter where I left the coffee. He picks the one with his name on the lid up and takes a sip. "Thanks Q."

"No problem." I grin and take a sip of my own. "I did call."

Duo shrugs. "Don't doubt it." He grins and sits down at the table.

"Duo, Quatre called. He's on his way…. Oh, hello Quatre." Heero goes from shouting to Duo at the top of the stairs to greeting me at the bottom. Unlike Duo, Heero is stark naked and looks like he just had a rough and tumble time in bed. He's got a tissue pressed to his groin and bodily fluids drying on his chest. "Duo, can you toss me a small ice pack?"

My best friend nods, gets up and produces two ice packs from the fridge. He tosses one to Heero, who catches it with ease and keeps one for himself. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be down in a bit." Heero says with no trace of embarrassment, turns and heads back upstairs. I can't help but shake my head when he turns around and the morning sun catches the moist trail of thick fluid running down his inner thigh. I quickly turn my attention back to Duo who is eyeing his fiancé with a vicious hunger.

"Calm boy. I know for a fact your sex life is not lacking, and I know you just finished devouring him, so pay attention to me now." I say with a wry smile.

"Oh, you don't have to remind me. But I look at it this way. The moment that I look at him and he doesn't strike me as sexy, handsome and everything else that I feel when I look at him, is the sign that something is wrong. So never ask me not to look at him that way." He winks at me. "So what's up?"

"I think congratulations are in order, and do I need to organize a bachelor party?" I make a face thinking that whole concept over. The more I think about it the more it doesn't make sense.

"Fuck no. But I think we should have a mini party before the day." He sits in thought for a moment. "I don't think a bachelor party works well for gay men, or dykes for that matter, but I can see that Relena might think differently. And definitely not for Heero and me. Shit, we both have the same friends, so that would be awkward to do. Maybe if you and Tro' tied the knot it would be different."

My cheeks redden at the thought of marrying Trowa and Duo laughs at me. "I'm going to guess by that reaction the idea isn't a bad one at the moment." He continues.

"No, at the moment, he says and does everything perfectly." He eyes me suspiciously. "We didn't fuck. But I can't tell you how many times my precious resolve almost got tossed aside this morning."

"This morning?" He raises a brow and a cocky smiles plays across his slightly swollen lips.

"I got up really early since I've been sleeping a lot the last few days. So I watched a movie until Trowa woke up a little later and we went to the beach to watch the sunrise. Though, I don't think we did much in the way of actually watching the sun rise."

"Heh." He laughs and moves his hair to the other shoulder, revealing a bite mark that is bruising nicely. Duo slaps the ice pack on it and moves his hair back. "He looks like he could be a good lay. Tall, limber, great body, handsome and one hell of a tight ass. Virgin ass too. If what he says is true."

"This is true. I've been trying to avoid thinking about what that specific sensation is going to do to me." Unfortunately, visions of Trowa moving under me in the throws of passion run frantically through my mind and something akin to a moan and a groan cross my lips.

Duo smirks. "I bet that active imagination of yours isn't even going to compare to when you actually get to take him."

I glare at him. "Who says I'm going to be top on this one."

"Quatre, you're tired of being taken advantage of and you know what you're doing. I _know_ you want to be in charge." He leans forward, a mock serious expression on his face.

Sometimes he is overly astute and I really can't argue with him. Yes, I am tired of being taken advantage of. And, yes, I want to take him before he can take me. "I hate you sometimes. You know that, don't you?"

"You're a horrible liar, Quatre Winner. I hope you know that."

"Only to people who have known me forever."

"Go take a shower, asshole, so we can go out." Heero says as he appears out of nowhere and tosses a towel at Duo's head. "And disinfect your mouth." He kisses his fiancé on the forehead and grabs the remaining cup of coffee from the counter.

"Oh come on. I don't get a kiss?" Duo whines with a huge smile on his face.

"No. When you smell Listerine fresh then, yes, you will." Heero says with a triumphant smirk and takes a sip of his coffee.

"You're such a prick, Yuy." Duo harrumphs and gets up, the towel clutched in his hand.

"Whatever, Maxwell. I'm already minty fresh, so deal." He grins.

"Be glad I love you enough to put up with this."

"I am glad everyday, Duo. Go shower now."

Duo stands there glaring at Heero, but there is a slight grin on both of their faces. "Um, hello? Quatre Winner here." I remind them that I am sitting there.

"Fine. For you Q-ball, I'll go get all nice and clean." Duo blows Heero a kiss and bounds up the stairs.

Heero watches Duo disappear and then sits down in his love's abandoned seat and looks at me.

"What?" I ask innocently, as Heero's piercing blue eyes look me over.

"Where are we going today?"

I cock my head to the side, feeling slightly confused. "You were the one who suggested that we go out somewhere."

"Yes, I was. But that doesn't answer my question." He takes a large sip of his coffee.

My eyes narrow as I scrutinize Heero, who sits there relaxed and calm. "Okay. I know where I want to go, but I am curious to see how correct your observational skills are."

Heero chuckles quietly. "We're going someplace that can duplicate keys."

My jaw drops slightly. That wasn't what I was thinking. Hell, this cute little bistro down the road is what is foremost on my mind. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you are fiddling with your apartment key. And, taking into consideration the current situation you find yourself in, I'm thinking that you want to give Trowa a key and ask him to sleep with you. And by sleep I mean close your eyes, go into R.E.M. sleep, not the fuck you into the mattress sort of sleep."

I look down and true enough, I am fiddling with my apartment key. "Heero, you amaze me sometimes. You can be incredibly dense when it comes to Duo, yet, with someone else, you manage to figure out things that are far from obvious."

He shrugs. "I'll be the first to admit that I can be rather stupid when it comes to Duo. But I blame it on being in love and being a complete moron when it comes to the finer details of human interactions." It is amazing how much Heero realizes about himself and how candidly he can talk about it. "But, you are not a complete moron when it comes to the finer details of human interactions. You and Duo share a lot of similarities in that, which, admittedly, makes me rather jealous." He pauses for a moment and then continues talking. "What do you think you will get out of giving him a key this early?"

I remain quiet for a bit, trying to figure out why exactly I think that giving him a key right now would be a good idea.

"You know he can still crawl into bed with you if you don't give him a key."

A frown graces my face and I set my jaw, ready to defend myself.

"Remember you are Quatre Raberba Winner, heir to the Winner Empire. You have some things of insane value in your apartment. I wouldn't want to see something disappear because you fully trusted him before you got to know him better." Heero continues before I can gather my thoughts together.

"He hasn't given me any reason not to trust him though." There is frustration in my voice.

"No?"

"No." I reply stubbornly.

His body shakes in silent laughter. "Quatre you met barely 4 days ago. And you don't think he's got an angle? You are incredibly handsome, rich and refined. You've got an amazing body, and I can't imagine someone not seeing what you have to offer and not want to fuck you silly. Then there is the added bonus of the immense fortune you have access to. I wouldn't trust him until you spend more time with him."

"Duo let him into my apartment while I was asleep in my room with the door closed." I point out.

"Yes, but you were in there."

"Humph." I pout and cross my arms defensively. "I know he's not a bad person Heero."

"You don't have to be a bad person to take advantage of an opportunity. People do stupid things sometimes. They make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Perfection isn't in the genetic coding."

I let lose a sigh of exacerbation. "He just seems so perfect."

"'Seems' is the key word there."

"Arg." I almost shout out and run my hands through my hair. "Why can't you be like Duo and tell me the good things?"

"Quatre, I don't know what you and Duo have talked about. I simply get the highlights in bits and pieces. But I'm a realist, through and through. I'll let Duo take care of the motivational and uplifting aspect of this blossoming relationship, while I act as the anchor whether or not you like it."

"Fuck. Why can't this be easy?" I rest my elbows on my knees and cradle my head in my hands.

"Because you aren't some average kid. You're a trophy, a conquest and a piggy bank. People don't care that you are queer if you are fucking the heir to the wealthiest family in the world. The world gets two hundred times more complicated because of that. If you were both average kids, it wouldn't be so bad, and we wouldn't be as protective as we are. It is your life, Quatre. You can have sex with whoever you want to, whenever you want to. But I know you want more than a quick fuck on the side. You've wanted what you had with Tristan ever since he moved away. And Trowa reminds me a lot of Tristan. So, I can see why you're falling so hard, so quickly."

I groan, knowing that Heero has a point. "I never thought to compare Tristan and Trowa to each other. But now that you mention it, they are alike. Shit, that just makes everything worse."

"What makes what worse?" Duo said as he quietly walks up behind Heero and slides his arms around his love's neck.

"The fact that Trowa is a lot like Tristan." Heero says and kisses one of Duo's hands.

Duo suddenly separated from Heero and looks blankly at the wall, cocking his head slightly to the left. "Fuck, I haven't thought about Tristan in forever." He mumbles, snapping out of his thoughts. "I'll be right back!" Duo shouts as he runs up the wooden stairs without making a sound.

I look at Heero blankly. "He obviously knows something that we don't know." The stoic man answers my unspoken question. "Just wait, I'm pretty sure I know what he's getting."

"And that is?"

"The box labeled 'Sophomore Year' from our closet."

"What the hell did you keep from high school?"

"Yearbooks, pictures and a bunch of other random things. I think he's looking for a picture of you and Tristan."

"God, Yuy, can't you pretend that you can't read my mind?" Duo groans as he places the box labeled 'Sophomore Year' on the table.

"I can't read your mind. If I could, you wouldn't have broken up with me right before I proposed to you." Heero replies flatly.

"Good point." Duo quips and opens the box, but stops just before he reaches in to pull out the pictures. "What if on the random, extremely coincidental circumstance, Trowa turns out to be Tristan. What happens then?"

"That would explain a lot." Heero says before I can cut in.

"That would be insane. I would have known it right away."

"Quatre, just because we look a lot like we did when we were fifteen doesn't mean that he does. Some people change drastically. That, and we've all been together for the past few years. Tristan hasn't been with us as we went from teenagers to adults." Heero explains calmly.

"And if that is true, then why doesn't he remember me? I would think it is kind of hard to forget that you were dating Quatre Winner." Yes, I realize that sounded pompous.

"Maybe something happened that caused him to repress those memories. Did his parents know about your relationship?"

"I think so." I say uneasily. "We spent some time at his house while his parents were home."

"But did you act like a couple? Did you have sex while they were in the house?"

"No, we only had sex at my house. And, no, we acted like friends. I mean we stole kisses while we were upstairs and they were downstairs, but we never did anything else. But, I don't see what that has to do with anything. If they did or didn't it doesn't explain why, if Trowa is really Tristan, he wouldn't remember me. I look just like I did when we were dating, save for now I can grow a facial hair if I really want to, and I actually have muscles."

"I don't know." Heero shrugs. "Just mentioning it. I could be something or it could be that my mind is flooded with endorphins and I am not thinking clearly."

Duo looks at Heero as if he has just grown three heads. "Well that's a new excuse for speaking gibberish, Yuy."

Heero doesn't say anything right away, but pulls Duo into his lap and secures the long haired wonder there by encircling his arms him. "Shut up, Maxwell." He says quietly and kisses the skull's mouth on Duo's back, which causes my best friend to shiver.

"Here, Quat." Duo reaches into the box and pulls out two photo albums and hands them to me. "They should be from the first day of Sophomore year to the end of summer vacation."

"Why did you arrange it like that?" I ask, rather curious why the summer before our Junior year wasn't put in the Junior pictures.

Duo grins and wiggles in Heero's lap. "Because, it makes more sense to end with the summer than to start with it. The first day of the school year is when everything truly begins."

"We thought it would be weird to have the summer before college started as the beginning of our college albums, so we changed everything around to make it so the summer comes last and the school year first." Heero explains, slightly muffled because he's practically talking into Duo's shoulder.

I nod and stop paying them any attention so I can look through the albums. The summer between our Sophomore and Junior year was the last year I saw Tristan. His parents moved to the United States because of work and took their son with them. As I can recall, Tristan and I spent as much time together that summer as we could before he had to leave. Allah, I miss him so much.

I open the first album, Heero, Duo, Hilde and myself are in our school uniforms, Tristan's got his arm around my waist and he's wearing his school's uniform. Hilde stands between the two couples looking completely happy by her position. A dyke fag hag, who would have thought?

There really isn't anything special about the picture. We just look like a close set of friends having fun. The next picture is from the same time, but we now look much more than friends, I can't remember who was taking the pictures, might have been Meilin or Wufei, but it doesn't matter anymore. I smile almost sadly as I look at the picture. Tristan has his arms around my waist, and I've got mine around his neck. We're both smiling and seem completely oblivious that there is a camera capturing the moment.

On Hilde's other side Duo has jumped up and wrapped his legs around Heero's waist, while kissing like they were in a porno. Hilde stands in the middle of the two couples making a mock confused face with a huge amused smile pulling at her lips. I feel my head shake slightly from an un-vocalized laugh and look back at Tristan. Suddenly, all the feelings I felt for him come flooding back, and I feel like I am about to cry.

Quickly, I turn the page hoping to stave off the emotions. The next few pages are just around the school, which means Tristan isn't in any of them. Duo is also lacking in most of them, but that is because he tended to be the one with the camera. Further on in the album, I come to the Halloween party. I threw a large costume ball at my parents' house. Somehow, it looks like Duo got his hands on the film from my camera, as there are a bunch of pictures of Tristan and I getting ready for the ball. But, if I remember correctly, Tristan and I were alone and took turns taking pictures of each other and the ones where we were together, we were standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom and the camera was in one of our hands.

My attention gets caught on the last picture on the page. I somehow managed to get him off guard and there is a look of surprise on his face. He's wearing the pair of emerald green velvet pants that I had made for him for the party because they matched his eyes. "Oh shit." I whisper, realizing that Trowa has similarly shaded eyes. Tristan's matching silk shirt was unbuttoned and flowing, as if the camera had caught him in the middle of moving. He had some muscle definition, but nothing like Trowa's.

Then I start to stare at his face. Tristan was stunning and even now his 15 year old visage has the power to take my breath away. There is even a slight similarity between Tristan and Trowa's facial structure, but they say everyone has a twin somewhere. It could just be coincidence. I must find out what happened to him. I close the album and hand it back to Duo and quickly retrieve my cell phone from my pocket and dial a familiar number.

" _Master Quatre, is everything alright?"_

"Yes, everything is fine Rashid, thank you." I wish he would stop thinking that the only reason I call him is if something is wrong.

" _That is good to hear. How may I assist you Master Quatre?"_

I turn around so I can't see Duo and Heero, knowing that I will hear hell about this when I end the call. "Can you please see what you can find out about Tristan Barton? Especially his whereabouts?"

" _Your friend from high school that moved to the United States?"_ He asks, diplomatically choosing his words, even though I know he knows that Tristan and I were more than mere friends.

"Yes, that is the one."

" _Very well Master Quatre, I will contact you when I have news."_

"Thank you, Rashid. I will talk to you later." With that we both hang up.

"Quatre, I can…." I spin around holding up a finger for Duo to remain quiet and call another number.

"Hi Jamie, it's Quatre. I need you to do me a favor." Both Duo and Heero look at me oddly.

" _Of course Master Winner. What can I help you with?"_ The young, sweet, sing-song voice of the Winner real estate manager replies.

"I need a secluded house with a private beach ready in two weeks." Heero and Duo both look at me as if I am insane, but I simply ignore them for the moment.

" _The Winners have several homes, which would be appropriate. Are there any other requirements?"_

"Any one of those have a hotel or something of the sorts at least a fifty miles from the house, but no more than one hundred miles away?"

" _The Winners own an island in the Caribbean, the nearest hotel is located on Nassau Island."_

"Ah, excellent. Will you hold on for a moment Jamie?"

" _Of course, Master Winner."_

I look at Heero and Duo. "What do you think of the Caribbean?" Duo's eyes alight and he looks happily to Heero, who simply nods. I know Heero doesn't really care were they go for their honeymoon as long as it makes Duo happy and by the light in his eyes it looks like Duo is happy. "The Caribbean sounds lovely Jamie. Please start to make arrangements; I will contact you in a bit to sort out the rest of the details."

" _I will start immediately."_ I end the call and look at Heero and Duo.

"Quatre. That is a bit much." Heero says from behind the happily bouncing Duo.

"Heero, you have pretty much everything you need. You've been living in this house for a few years now, and I know you don't really have to worry about money. So let me take care of your honeymoon. I think the house Jamie is talking about is the only thing on the island. It is completely secluded and beautiful. You'll love it there."

Heero looks at Duo, who is now facing Heero and beaming, and sighs. "Alright. But I want you to do something for me Quatre."

I look at him expectantly. "And that is?"

"I want you to call Rashid back and tell him that he is to call me, and only me, with the results on Tristan." I open my mouth to protest, but the glare he gives me keeps me quite and he continues. "This is cheating, Quatre, and you know it. If Trowa turns out to be Tristan, than I bet you that something happened to him that has caused him to forget. Talk to him about high school. Be diplomatic. I know you know how to do that. If he turns out to not be Tristan then, oh well. Don't let the memory of your high school love destroy what you could have with Trowa. I don't want you to go after the real Tristan and ruin what chance you have with Trowa, when Tristan might not give a damn now, having moved on with his life."

At the end of Heero's speech I look to Duo, who is looking at his fiancé with disbelief in his eyes. "What? You are acting as if I don't talk, and I talk plenty when we're home. And I don't think I need to remind you that we are home." Heero grins and kisses Duo's nose then turns his attention back to me. "Call Rashid, Quatre, and before you hang up I want to talk to him."

I know Heero's right. If I find anything out, I'll fuck things up. I pull out my phone again and call Rashid back. He answers promptly. _"Master Quatre, is everything all right?"_

"Yes, everything is fine, but I do have a request. I need you to call Heero with what you find out on Tristan. Don't call me whatever you do. Just call Heero."

" _Very well Master Quatre."_

"Thank you Rashid. Oh, Heero would like to speak to you." As I mention this, Heero gently pushes Duo off of his lap and stands up. "Here he is." With that I hand the phone over to Heero who begins talking to the head of my personal guard, while heading upstairs.

I grumble nonsensical words and stare at Duo.

"Heero does have a point Quat." He states simply.

I run my hands through my hair. "I know he does, but that doesn't change my feelings on the situation."

"Quat, don't bring Tristan into this. That was several years ago and it isn't fair to Trowa that you dredge up memories of your high school love. You liked him before Heero mentioned that Trowa reminded him of Tristan. He seems like a really good guy, he really doesn't deserve to be tried against the memory of your first love." Duo says and sits in the chair Heero had recently occupied.

"Ok. I promise I will do my best not to fuck this up."

"Good." He grins and stretches out, lifting his feel so they are resting in my khaki short clad lap. I give him a look of annoyance, which he completely ignores and continues talking. "So when are you seeing your hunk again?"

"Tonight for dinner." A little grin dances over my lips at the thought of seeing him again.

"You going to ask him to stay over?" He asks with a mischievous grin.

My face flushes slightly. "I think so. I like waking up next to him. It is like he's perfect for me."

"Then you don't need to know if he's Tristan or not." Heero says from the stairwell as he tosses my phone back to me. "And don't get too caught up on the 'perfect' aspect. Perfect can imply a pedestal and infallibility. He's human and this is all new for him so he's going to be on his best behavior. Give it a little bit before you pass the 'perfect' judgment." He lectures me in his best nasal, monotone voice.

"Heero, you make me crazy sometimes."

"One of us has to, and Duo's not going to be the voice of reason, so I am."

I throw my arms up in the air, push Duo's legs off of my lap and stand up. "So are we going anywhere?"

"I think we should." Duo says with a grin as he bounces to his feet. "Let's go get lunch and then we'll figure what else we want to do." He grabs my hand and Heero's and pulls us towards the door. "Oh, and Quat, you're driving, our cars are airing out." He gives me a very large guilty smile.

"Gah, too much info Duo. Since I'm driving, I choose where we're eating. And, Duo, you might want to put on a shirt. It might be hot out, and you might be beautiful, but they might not serve you without being fully dressed." Duo scrambles for a shirt, they both throw sandals on, and we head out the door. We get sandwiches at the little bistro that has been calling me since I arrived at the house. From there, we go to one of the home improvement stores and get a copy of my apartment key cut so that I may, at a later time, give my boyfriend the key.

The last place we go is the mall, and Heero and Duo drag me into the jewelry store to show me what they have in mind for their wedding rings. An older store attendant gets stuck with us, and she makes a face that is the cross between disgust and intrigue. Though, in the end, she seems less than willing to help my friends, so I pull out the trump card and discretely let her know that I am Quatre Winner and it would be in her best interest to assist my friends. Needless to say, she was far more attentive from that point forward. It never ceases to amaze me the power that my name holds outside my circle of friends.

Around four thirty, we make our way back to Heero and Duo's house. I drop them off and continue home to get ready for dinner with Trowa. As I drive home, I have this uncontrollable urge to play my violin. I haven't played in close to two weeks and all the earlier talk of Tristan has me somehow needing to play. Perhaps, somewhere in the back of my mind I think that if I bring the fact that I play out, maybe I'll be able to discern something about him that would point to him being Tristan or not.

I feel very divided about this situation. Part of me wants desperately for Trowa to be Tristan, while the other part of me wants Trowa to be a completely different person. I don't know how I should feel about the possibility that my new boyfriend might be my first love. If he is actually Tristan, why doesn't he remember me? I haven't changed all that much and my name is still the same. But at the same time, if he is Tristan and something happened to him, somehow we ended back together. That's got to say something. Doesn't it?

Then again, he could just be Trowa. Though, I do find it slightly curious that they share last names, but Barton isn't all that uncommon, so I shouldn't really be all that shocked. If he is just Trowa than I should be happy and content with that, well, as long as he remains as understanding and wonderful as he has been so far. So, I really don't need to know what happened to Tristan. We've both moved on with our lives, he didn't try to contact me, and I was no better, but then again, I didn't know where he went; just that he was going to America. Oh well, things happen for a reason and I don't want to ruin my chances with Trowa by asking something as stupid as 'are you actually Tristan Barton from Sanq?' I really can't imagine that going over well.

Once in my apartment, I grab my violin from its resting place in my bedroom and set the case on my bed. After a little bit of set up and tuning, I start playing, glancing at the clock as I start my scales. It is five o'clock. I'll play for half and hour and give Trowa a call to see what he has in mind for this evening. Then, I let all thoughts out of my mind and begin to play the piece I wrote my senior year in high school, which helps to calm my tumbling thoughts and send me to a time when things were slightly less complicated.


	13. A Delightful Evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexy time section marked in case you want to skip it

I play for a half and hour straight, finally stopping when I see that it has reached five-thirty. I place my violin back in the case and grab my cell phone, quickly calling up Trowa's number.

" _Hello. I thought maybe for a moment you forgot."_ He says with mock hurt.

A laugh escapes and I find myself grinning like an idiot. "Why would I do that?"

" _Oh, I don't know, but how about one of us goes to the other's apartment so we can continue this conversation in person."_

"Sounds good. Where do you want to meet?"

" _I think your place is more comfortable. Unless you want to come over."_ Trowa adds hastily with a touch of nervousness. I solve the question by taking the initiative and walk out of my apartment to his.

"Either one is fine Trowa. I really don't care one way or another." I chuckle quietly. "So what do you want to eat? We could go out or I could make something"

" _What would you make?_ "

"Well, I was thinking that I could make a rather distant relative of stroganoff." I say with a grin and lean against his door jam.

" _What exactly is a distant relative of stroganoff_?" He asks, muffling a chuckle.

"Open the door, and I'll let you know." I knock on the door.

"What? You're outside?"

"Knock, knock." I say in time as I rap on his door. Right after the second knock, he opens the door and his look of confusion morphs into a lop-sided grin. I smile back and look him over. He's in a pair of loose fitting jean shorts and a royal blue tank top. Allah, he looks good. Then I peek past him into his apartment and there are still boxes floating about.

"How about I help you bring the rest of the stuff up from your car and assist in getting you settled in and _then_ we'll eat some food. We have to make sure not to skip dessert though. Dessert is _very, very_ important." I wink, end the phone call, and kiss him. I really can't help being horny. Being sex-deprived for so long makes you say stupid and cheesy things sometimes.

"I think that can be arranged. Though, do we have to wait for the dessert? I'm fond of having that before anything else." His voice becomes quiet and husky as he closes the distance between us to speak.

"Mmm, as much as I would love to have dessert first…" I nip his neck gently and leave my lips on his skin as I continue. "… I am pretty sure if we do, we're not going to get anything else done."

"Would that be such a bad thing?" Trowa mummers back as he runs the hand that is not holding his cell phone slowly down my side.

A moan escapes my lips along with a whimper. "No, not really. But I would really like to help you get settled before school gets into full swing." I wrap my arms around his waist and plant little kisses up his neck and trace the shell of his ear with my tongue.

"I think, Quatre, that we shouldn't be doing this in the hallway. I don't care, but our neighbors might." He slides his hand down further and gropes my ass, causing me to moan again.

I run my hands through his hair and grin. "Come on. Let's go get the stuff out of your car. We'll think about food afterwards." I pull him down into a needy, tongue entwining kiss before I push him away. "Now! Or no dessert."

"That's rather manipulative, don't you think?" He asks with a sly grin and closes his door.

"Not really because it means I don't get any either, and I really want some. We would both be suffering. It is just my way of being stubborn."

Trowa chuckles. "I think I have a thing for stubborn 'cut off your nose to spite your face' people."

I laugh. "A trend in your significant others?" As I tease, I take his hand and lead him down the hall to the stairs.

"Seems so." He grins. "I seem to remember my first girlfriend, and successive girlfriends for that matter, was like that. For some reason, I like that sort of dogged conviction. Even though it can be extremely frustrating at times, it makes for an interesting romance. Like the way I remember Katrina, my first girlfriend, was that she was opinionated and would stick to her guns no matter what it meant. And if it meant she didn't get something, then oh well," he explains as we head down the stairs to the parking lot.

I laugh. "I did that to my first boyfriend. I think it made him crazy sometimes, but the sex that stemmed from me being a total tool was wonderful."

"How old were you?" As he asks he pulls his car keys out of his pocket.

"When I had my first boyfriend, or when I first had sex?" I respond with a sly grin.

He flushes red and looks away for a moment. "I guess both." He looks back at me, and I realize that at that moment I would do anything he said. The mix of the flush across his cheeks, the awkward smile on his lips, and the bright glimmer in his brilliant eyes has me in a complete and binding spell.

So, I do what anyone would do under such a spell. I answer him. "We met during rehearsals for the youth orchestra right before we started eighth grade. I had just turned thirteen. We had sex for the first time right before the winter concert that same year. So I lost my virginity about three months after we met." I give him a wicked little grin. "What about you?"

"Hum, sort of. Not as clearly as I would like. Kat had come over when my parents were out of town, and we partook of some dark rum, which wasn't exactly my parents' favorite, so they wouldn't know it was missing. I was rather trashed and amazingly I was still able to get it up. All in all, I remember most of it. He pauses and looks for his car, upon seeing it we head in that direction. "Does it bother you?" His eyes show that this worries him, and I cannot help but smile.

"I can't see what there is for me to be bothered about. Truthfully, as long as you're clean, I couldn't care less. Really, I don't know anyone who is still a virgin. We've all been having sex since high school." I pause and look at him. "You're clean right?"

He nods. "I had a complete physical and all the blood tests to check for everything right before I moved here, and that was several months after I broke up with my last girlfriend. I was also very careful to always use protection." He opens his car doors, and I survey what we have to bring upstairs. "You?"

"My first and I didn't use protection, but he was a virgin too. Getting protection at thirteen turned out to be a major challenge, even for Quatre Winner. _Especially_ , for Quatre Winner. Allah, the media would have loved to know the wholesome heir was having sex with another guy at the age of thirteen. But I've been tested every year since then, and I'm a-okay!"

Trowa gives me an awkward smile. "Ok, awkward conversation out of the way, lets get this stuff upstairs so we can further discuss details of what we are having to eat tonight." He grins and reaches into his car and loads two boxes in my arms. "Would they have made that big a deal about it?"

I cannot help but laugh. "They would have a field day. I haven't officially come out to the public, but there are definitely rumblings out there that I'm gay." I shrug. "I figure that I don't need to announce it. I'm not going to hide it, but I'm not going to shout it out from on high." He nods and doesn't push the conversation any farther.

We make the run back and forth between his car and apartment until everything is where it needs to be. When we are finally both in the apartment together, we settle heavily onto the futon in his living room, legs splayed wide apart lazily, shirts soaking through with sweat and a sleepy look in our eyes.

"Reminder to oneself. Do not unload a car in the middle of the afternoon; wait until the sun sets, and it cools down first." I groan and throw my arms over the back of the futon. "That was far worse than running seven miles in the morning."

"I blame the stairs and the added weight." Trowa adds with a grumble and pushes his long bangs back off of his face. "How about we both grab a shower, and I'll meet you over at your place?"

"You don't want any help unpacking?"

Green eyes look over my body and his hand snakes under the hem of my shorts and rests on my thigh. "Not right now. Shower and food. That's all I can think about now." He leans over and kisses me, while he squeezes my thigh suggestively.

"Are there any pure and chaste thoughts in here?" I playfully rap the side of his head gently.

"Oh, come on. You should be worried if I wasn't thinking about sex all the time. Means I'm a healthy male. And I seriously doubt you can tell me it isn't constantly on your mind."

I stick my tongue out at him and none-to-gracefully stand up. "To say it isn't would be hypocritical. And, as you pointed out, it is rather normal for a healthy male to have that primal, animalist craving." There is a stupid smile on my face, and I lean over my green-eyed boyfriend and kiss him hungrily. "I'll leave the door open, so come in as soon as you are done." After another quick, but equally hungry kiss, I make my way back to my apartment.

There is a giddy feeling in my stomach as I strip, jump into the shower, and start washing the sweat off of my skin. Allah, I'm not even going to sleep with him, but for some reason I feel like I did the first time Tristan and I had sex. Tristan, fuck! I shouldn't be comparing Trowa to Tristan, but what if he really is and something happened to make him forget about us?

Trowa says he's never been with a guy, and he says his first was a girl. He seems pretty certain on those points. I know that Tristan had never been with a girl before we got together, and he never showed interest in girls other than being friends. I can't imagine how something could make him forget his sexual preference. But, maybe it didn't. Trowa confessed to liking boyish girls, and he didn't seem to have a problem with entering into a relationship with me. And, though I may be prettier than the average Joe, I am definitely male. He's seen me with my shirt off more than once and seemed perfectly happy to have my arousal grinding into his.

"Fuck!" I mutter as I turn off the water and get out of the shower. Quickly, I towel off, throw my clothes into the hamper, wrap a towel around my waist, and go to my room to fetch a pair of light cotton pajama bottoms. Trowa isn't in the living room when I pass through it, which part of me is thankful for, as it erases any possibility that I would forgo clothes and jump him like sex-deprived, horny man I am.

I slip into a pair of light cotton, navy blue pajama bottoms and a heather grey wife beater. Yes, Quatre Winner owns wife beaters. After a brief look in the mirror, I grab my towel and head back to the bathroom to hang it up. Trowa still isn't over here yet, and I begin to get a little nervous. What if he isn't coming over? What if I scared him away? Fuck! I take a few deep breaths, wipe the dew from the bathroom mirror and pull a comb through my hair so it will dry with some semblance of tidy.

The front door squeaks quietly as I begin brushing my teeth, and I look out of the bathroom towards it, just in time to see Trowa entering. I offer him a large grin and finish brushing my teeth, rushing a bit so I can get to him faster.

Trowa meets me halfway, and we crush our bodies together, lips meeting in a needy kiss. One of his arms circles my waist, while the other buries into my hair. I mimic him and pull his torso closer to mine, if that is even possible. Then I lower my hand to his perfect ass and pull his groin closer to mine. I grin happily as we practically devour each other in the kiss, and I gyrate my hips to provide contact for our rapidly growing arousals.

"Before we completely lose our minds," Trowa pants at a break in the kiss. "Where do we stop?"

I nibble as his neck while he talks, and I feel the shiver that goes down his back. "Mmmm. I really want to suck you off, if you'll let me. I think all the way is off limits for right now." I say in between kisses to his neck and collarbone.

"You sure?" He responds, his voice shaking a bit.

"Mmmm, very." I slip both hands under his shirt letting myself feel and explore his back. "Would that be ok?"

_-begin sexy time-_

He utters "Yes" and I grin, slowly pulling his shirt up and over his head, tossing it away. My hands are immediately all over his upper body, touching him everywhere in reach and enjoying the feeling of his muscles twitching as my hands pass over them. His eyes become barely open slits as his breathing becomes slightly erratic. With a little smirk, I begin kissing his warm skin, starting right under his ear and down to his nipple. I nuzzle it with my nose before flicking it with my tongue. He hisses softly, and I suck on the hard nub, while swirling my tongue around it.

When Trowa's head rolls to the side, eyes fully shut, I decide to move our explorations to the bed. "Follow me. I don't want you falling over, especially since I have so much more to do to you." I grab his hand and lead him to the bedroom, put the violin on the floor – he eyes it for a moment but doesn't say anything – and hurriedly push the covers down. Once the bed is clear, I push him down so he is laying there, looking at me with lust filled eyes. A smirk dances across my lips, and I pull my shirt off and toss it to the floor. The lust in his emerald eyes turns to a needy hunger, and I debate whether or not to tease him until he can only whimper 'pleases' or if I should not put either of us through that.

As I debate silently, Trowa begins to caress himself. His hand starts high on his pectoral muscles, pinching the nipple I had been sucking on moments earlier before his hand descends lower. I watch, completely under his spell, as his hand roams downward, over taught stomach and abdominal muscles and under the waist band of his flannel pants where he ever so slowly begins to pleasure himself. As he does so, his head arches back on the pillow, his eyes close and a soft moan passes through his lips.

Debate done! I realize that my own hand is mimicking his actions and I really don't have the willpower to be a tease. I want to taste him, I want him writhing and moaning below me, I want him, and nothing else matters right now past that.

Before I get onto the bed, I properly move the comforter and top sheets to the bottom of the bed, probably to be kicked off before we're done, but I don't really care right now. Carefully straddling his thighs, so we can have some relief for our neglected arousals, I continue where I had left off in the living room. This time I start with his other nipple and tease it until it is as red and tender as the first one. Then, I start my way down his body, following the trail his hand had just taken.

At some point he moves both his hands to my body, touching everything he can. I kiss and lick down to his navel, swirl my tongue around it and relish in the soft murmurs of pleasure that emanate from his slightly parted lips. "Beautiful." I whisper, as I nuzzle the thin, almost invisible line of hair that starts at his abdomen and disappears under his pants. Sitting up a bit, I look at him and finger the waist band. "Ok?"

He nods and writhes a little and thrusts his hips towards me as if searching for contact of some sort. With a quick motion, I move from straddling his legs to kneeling next to him. Softly, I command Trowa to lift his hips and he complies without a word. I remove his pants, making sure to not touch his aching erection in the process. I hear a whimper escape from him as I slowly run my hands down his legs, pushing his pants as I go.

Once I have him completely naked, I lean back and take in the sight. Trowa is stunning and his skin is almost glowing as the evening sun shines through my window. As I admire, I see something I am surprised I hadn't noticed on the beach, but then again it was dark and I wasn't really registering much of anything, a medium sized white scar on his right side. Leaning over his body, I kiss it. "What happened?"

Trowa smiles as I kiss him. "Appendicitis at the end of freshman year." My breath hitches in my chest and it feels like my heart skips a beat as visions skirt through my head of Tristan collapsing in the middle of orchestra practice. As quickly as I can, I push the memories of the ride to the hospital from my mind. Plenty of people have appendicitis, it doesn't mean anything.

My attention turns back to the gloriously naked body before me, and it acts as a splendid diversion from the thoughts racing through my mind. "I'm glad you're ok." I run my hands up his legs slowly, making sure to tease the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. With a suggestive smile, I lower my head and kiss where my hands had just been. Trowa whimpers more and he squirms, trying to wriggle down so his cock will make contact with some part of me.

He smells of soap and his own musk, magnified due to his almost painful arousal. It is insanely intoxicating, and I need nothing more now than to taste the glistening pre-cum leaking from the small sensitive slit in the head and trickling down his shaft. Part of me can't help being overjoyed by the fact that I am the one causing this level of arousal in him.

Finding the end of the pre-cum stream, I lick from there to the head. Trowa hisses as my tongue slides up his length, and I smile happily. I twirl my tongue around his hot, red head, and his hips thrust upwards trying to find more contact. "Patience." I murmur and wrap my lips around his weeping tip and suck gently.

"Don't wanna be…" He replies breathlessly, and I suck hard, not taking any more of him in my mouth just yet. His eyes close, and I watch his chest heave. Allah, he is magnificent. I decide I need an angle change and stop suckling him. He frowns and looks at me, whimpering quietly.

Gently, I push his legs apart, settle myself between them and resume my ministrations. Slowly, I lick from perineum to the head of his cock, making sure to lave his taut, wrinkled scrotum. Trowa lets out a shaky breath and looks at me with eyes half open. His emerald eyes are pleading where his voice is unable to. I smile. "I'll stop teasing." With that, I stop teasing and focus on bringing Trowa as much pleasure as I can.

As he writhes in pleasure beneath me, thrusting blindly into my mouth, I feel his pleasure mounting. It is not hard to see that he is not going to last much longer, and I increase my efforts to magnify the height of his orgasm. Then, just as I see his body tightening, he gently (thankfully) grabs my hair and thrusts one final time before letting out a loud, guttural shout and arches back as he comes forcefully in my mouth.

The moment Trowa lets go of my hair, I reposition my head so I don't choke and suck and tongue him until he exits the initial throws of ecstasy. I sit back on my heels, gently running my hands over his thighs, and watch him. He is breathing heavily, eyes shut, and he twitches slightly. A triumphant grin dances over my lips at a job well done. Maybe I'm a bit out of practice, but if his reaction is anything to go by, I can't be _that_ out of practice.

Slowly, he opens his eyes and looks at me. "Oh…fuck Quat."

My brow furls. "Is that good or bad?"

Trowa tosses his head back, eyes closing again and starts to laugh. "Good. Very, very good." He slowly sits up. By the look in his eyes, it seems like his perfect balance isn't behaving. "God, I needed that." He reaches out to me, and when I give him my hand, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me. "And now, I believe it is your turn to enjoy the ride." I feel his long fingers caress me through my pants. "I do believe you are wearing too much clothing."

With elegant swiftness, he trades places with me, and I find myself lost in his bright green eyes. I do not even realize that I have been divested of my pants until he breaks eye contact. At first, he just looks at me, not touching with his hands, but the path his eyes take over my body serves to inflame my skin just fine.

Moments later, his hands join his eyes in exploration. I squirm a bit as he does so, wanting his hands to be everywhere at once. I hear him chuckle quietly as I wrap my legs around his arms and waist, trapping him momentarily.

"Quat, it is hard for me to do anything without being able to use my arms."

I grumble something about him teasing me and that he should stop it, which only serves to cause him to chuckle again. "I'm simply returning the favor." Trowa gently moves his arms and repositions my legs so they are resting on his shoulders. Then I feel feather light kisses on my ankle and leading down to my knee. When he gets to my knee, I feel him kiss the back of my knee, but not with the feather kisses he has just been doing, it was something more.

A shiver ran down my spine and a moan escaped my lips, followed by a shaky exhale. I could feel his lips turn up into a smile, and he proceeded to nuzzle, lick and nip at the back of both of my knees until I am a writhing mess on the bed. No one, other than Tristan, had figured out that I would become a submissive and eager pet if you do what Trowa is now doing to the back of my knees.

When he stops, he watches me for a moment, a smug look on his face. "How…did…you know…" I say between shivers and moans as he teases the back of my knees some more with light touches.

"It just seemed like the right thing to do." He says and proceeds to kiss down my inner thigh. "And I see now that it was the perfect thing to do." His eyes focus in on a droplet of pre-cum running down my straining erection, and before it adds to the pooling mess on my abdomen, he licks it up.

My eyes fly open and I look at him just as he swallows me and I feel his throat vibrate with the 'mmm' sound he makes as he does so. Thank Allah, he doesn't tease me long, and as his hot, wet mouth sucks and licks, his hand gently fondles my testicles. As the pressure begins to mount in my groin, I can do nothing more than arch back, shut my eyes and attempt to not ram my dick so hard into his mouth that I cause him damage.

Vaguely, I am aware of his forearm resting over my abdomen to restrain my thrust a bit. But it doesn't matter any more as I am too gone to care. I think I mutter something like 'now' as his tongue does this awesome swirly thing, and I come forcefully in his mouth. As fireworks explode in my closed eyes, I work on trying to remember how to breathe, which is hard since his tongue is still lightly lapping the cum that is leaking from the slit.

The next thing I know, he's beside me on the bed, and he's kissing me, our own unique tastes blending together as our passion bleeds out more between lips and tongue. "Where the hell did you learn how to do that?" I manage to say between kisses. "I thought you hadn't been with a guy before."

Trowa grins at me. "I haven't. But I'm a very quick study, and hopefully, I managed to mimic what you did to me." As he speaks, we entwine our limbs and pull each other close.

_-End most of the really sexy time bits-_

"So it didn't bother you? Having another guy's cock in your mouth?"

Trowa laughs softly. "Does it look like I was bothered?" He moves his head to his lips are to my ear. "So much nicer to have your nice, hard, delicious cock in my mouth, than some wet pussy."

I can not help but laugh. "Well that's a good sign. I can't even begin to fathom going down on a girl. Just seems too weird."

"I finally broke down and did it when the thing I wanted most was a blow job. She wouldn't give me one unless I ate her out. I wasn't keen on doing it again after the first time." He pauses, looks at me with a stupid grin and starts laughing. "I guess I should take that as a sign?"

I can't help but laugh too. "I think that is a good indicator. I don't think most straight guys would entertain the idea of sucking off another guy, seeing it as a sure sign you're queer and want it up the ass." I kiss him then pull back abruptly realizing that school starts tomorrow, and I have no clue what he's doing. "Oh, how does this coming week look for you? Classes and such."

Trowa closes his eyes in thought for a moment then tells me when he has his classes. I am excited to find that we have a sociology class together. It is one of my requirements and happened to be one of the electives he chose to take. I tell him I have marching band practice in the band room Monday and Tuesday nights, and then Thursdays we're on the field from five to nine in the evening.

"So, I know there is a marching band. Anything else open to people who aren't music majors?" His eyes dart to the end of the bed. "I see you have a violin. Do you play with an orchestra or anything?"

A goofy grin spreads over my face. "There is an orchestra that meets before Marching Band Thursday evening, so people can play in both, since they share a lot of the same players. There is also a jazz and a regular band open. All of them require auditioning to get in. But they could care less if you are a music major. If you are good, you're in." I snuggle closer to him. "You play anything?"

He nods. "I play flute competently. Which one should I play in? Seeing as Marching Band is not an option this year."

"You march?" I give him a probing look.

"Last time I did was in my freshmen year in college. I didn't have much time to do any more with trying to get scholarships and everything for coming here."

"Truthfully, I'm glad you're not marching this year." He gives me a puzzled look, and I smile. "You're gorgeous, stunning and wonderful. I would have been so distracted by you at band camp that I would have fucked everything up. This way, I get you to myself and I don't have to try to balance band, which is my life for the summer, and a brand new wonderful boyfriend. All I want is a little time to be selfish and enjoy. During Marching Band that is impossible."

"I'm ok with you being selfish right now." He gives me a squeeze. "So which do you suggest I audition for?"

"Up to you really. Last year I was first chair violin for the orchestra and played first flute with the band. You can try for both if you want. I'm pretty much guaranteed in since I've been in them since Freshmen year, but I still need to audition for my chair. I'd be happy with you in one or both."

He nods. "I'll look into it. I love playing, and then there is that added bonus of being able to oogle you."

I mock gawk and punch him lightly in the shoulder. "Pervert."

Trowa squeezes me gently. "I think that is something like the pot calling the kettle black. Seeing as we reek of each other's semen, and you have your hand cupping my naked ass."

My face burns as I flush red. "You do have a point." Before he can rebuttal, I capture his lips in a deep and passionate kiss, which leads into another kiss and another. I love kissing him, and by the time I realize we should not be kissing and getting food instead, we're both panting and as hard as we had been not too long ago. Before I can process what is going on, I feel his hand wrap around my arousal and he begins to jerk me off. I return the favor, and we kiss and thrust into each other's hands to completion.

We stay on our sides, riding out the euphoria of a second orgasm, and then I make a face and sit up. "Come on. Let's get cleaned up and eat." With a quick kiss I swirl my finger in a glob of seaman on his chest and wiggle the coated digit in front of his face. "Easier to clean up when it is still wet." I wiggle as I get off the bed and head for the bathroom. Before I reach the door to my room, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back into his arms. I feel cool moisture on my back, and I smile as I resign myself to the fact that we both need another shower.

"Thank you Quatre." Trowa whispers and plants a kiss on my neck right below my ear.

"For what?" I ask a bit confused.

"For trusting me."

Turning around in his arms, I study him for a moment. "Trowa, really, no thanks is necessary. But on the same hand, I should thank you for trusting me in return. I really don't know how well I would have faired my first time performing oral on a guy if I only had been dating and having sex with girls."

"But it was ok, wasn't it?" Trowa's brow creases and his eyes look troubled.

A chuckle escapes my lips and I wiggle out of his grasp and grab his hand. "Seriously, you're first attempt was better than pretty much every boyfriend I've ever had. And if you hadn't told me earlier you hadn't ever been with a guy, I would have laughed in your face, because it was that fucking good."

"Pretty much?" He asks with raised brow.

"Kinda hard to beat the memory of the first mind-blowing orgasm achieved by a blow job. And, really the same blow job probably wouldn't be as mind-blowing now as it was then." I say with a cheeky grin and pull him into the bathroom.

"I don't know if I should be insulted or not."

"It was a compliment. I just told you that on your first attempt you blew away the other, out of the closet for years, queer boys I've dated. That means that the probability is high that you will be able to replace the memory from when I was thirteen." With a grin, I turn around and turn the water on for the shower, making sure to wiggle teasingly as I do so. He groans softly and spoons up behind me, making sure his crotch is flush with my bottom.

"You've got to stop that, because I don't think I'll be able to walk if I come again so soon. As it is, my legs are a bit wobbly."

I look over my shoulder at him. "When was the last time you got some?"

"I'm assuming you're talking about getting some from someone else and not self pleasuring." I nod and turn the shower on and step into the spray. "Over a year."

There is a look of surprise on my face as I answer, and I beckon him to join me. "Was it a voluntary abstinence?"

"More or less." He shrugs as he gets into the shower and closes the curtain. "My ex-girlfriend spread some lovely rumor over campus, and the type who were interested in me after that were not exactly the type of person I choose to associate with."

I can't help but laugh. "Dirty whore or crazy psycho with sick sex fetishes?"

"Dirty whore." He says as I pour some body wash in my hand and I begin to wash away the remnants of our blinding orgasms from his skin. Trowa takes the bottle and does the same to me.

"Lovely," is all I say before we delve into washing each other. Strangely, his hands sliding over my skin do not elicit the need to fuck, but rather the need to be close and intimate. There isn't anything sexual about what our hands are doing, though I know we could change that without any problem. No, this is a more comfortable and relaxing thing that brings this elated joy to my mind that I don't know what to do with.

We stay in the shower long enough to clean each other, but get out when we are done with that task. "So how about some food?" We walk into my bedroom to retrieve our pants. "I know I said I would cook, but it is getting late." I glance at the clock and see that it is past nine already. "When the hell did it get _that_ late?"

Trowa wraps his arms around me from behind and playfully thrusts his hips against my rear. "I think that time disappeared while we were exploring each other." His hands travel over my chest, and I close my eyes, letting my head fall back onto his shoulder. "But I do think that food sounds like a good idea, and I'm really not all that picky, so whatever should be fine."

"How about pasta with marinara sauce and salad? At least, I think I have makings for a salad."

He chuckles and lets me go. "Anything is fine."

I grin and go about collecting things for dinner. "So, when do I get to see you next?" Trowa asks, leaning on the counter.

"Well, I was thinking that you could stay over here tonight, then wake up tomorrow morning at six and go running."

Trowa looks slightly startled by my mentioning that he stay for the night. He doesn't say a thing for a moment so I ready the water for the pasta. I look over at him just in time to see a smile form on his lips. "I'd like that."

We talk about the upcoming week, organizing and arranging our time together. We agree that we'd like to sleep in the same bed, and he decides that my bed is far more comfortable to sleep in than his own, but I made sure he knew I didn't have a problem staying in his room either. Everything appears to be as close to perfect as I can hope for, and I can't stop grinning like an idiot.

After dinner, Trowa helps me to clean up, then runs to his apartment for his toiletries and running apparel and whatever else he needs between now and our morning run. He reappears just as I emerge from the bathroom, brushing my teeth. We get ready for bed and as soon as the doors are secure and the lights off, we crawl into bed. I make sure my phone is set to go off at five-fifty so we can get up, dressed, and outside to meet up with everyone.

"Good night." I wrap my arms around him the best I can, seeing as we are lying on the bed, and kiss him.

He wraps his arms around me in return, and we have a mini make-out session before he finally utters, a bit drowsily, "Good night."

We re-situate ourselves so that he is spooning up behind me, which works out nicely since he is taller than I am, and the moment I close my eyes I am asleep.


	14. Nothing Special

Monday morning heralds the official beginning of the new school year and the end to my ability to have the world rotate around my relationship with Trowa. I startle in Trowa's arms, and we both grumble at the sound of the alarm. As we untangle our limbs, I get tangled up in the sheets and unceremoniously fall out of bed in the process. He begins chuckling to himself, and I glare back at him, mumbling something about him stealing all my grace, which only causes him to laugh at me more.

With a great force of will, I free myself of the sheets, get up, and go to change into my running gear. A feat which, as I have found out since I started dating Trowa, turns out to be a major challenge since we can't seem to keep our hands off of each other. Not that I am complaining, mind you, it just is not all that helpful when you are trying to get outside for a run. Running shorts are comfortable and all, but they don't exactly leave a lot to the imagination. Luckily for us, we manage to get changed and outside before Heero and Duo show up a minute or two later.

Wufei and Zechs both nod at Trowa and I, and Zechs motions for us to take a seat on the ground next to him. I take the space on the ground right next to the blonde prince, and he gives me a smug smile as if he knows something. What that something is, I choose not to think about and return his 'knowing look' with a questioning one. I barely hear a deep rumble of a chuckle emanate from him, and I give him a nasty look and say something crude about his royal heritage. Luckily for us, or maybe everyone around us, I don't know right now since I'm still not fully awake, Duo bounds up to the four of us and draws all attention off of me and on to him. My best friend sits down (more like wedges himself) between Prince Charming and myself, which causes Wufei to mutter something slightly out of character about leaving his boyfriend alone and inches closer to Zechs.

My brow furls at Wufei's reaction and I look past Duo to Zechs. "So what was that look for?" The smitten son of a bitch just winks at me and proceeds to ignore the fact that I just asked him a question. Heero seems to just appear behind Duo, and in a swift motion he grabs his fiancé under the armpits and drags him back a few feet, so he is no longer between Zechs and myself. I look at Trowa, who just shrugs and brings his body flush with his legs in a stretch. I look around at my friends, who all seem way too alert this morning, and grumble something about wanting to be back in bed, asleep.

I allow myself to regret not still being in bed curled up with my boyfriend until Trowa elbows me in my side and whispers, "Stop thinking."

I bounce to my feet, stick my tongue out at him. "I wasn't thinking, just realizing that I don't want to stretch any more." For some reason, I feel like I am in the twilight zone and I've shown up to run naked. Shaking off the feeling, I reach for Trowa and Duo's hands and pull them up onto their feet and tug them away from those left on the ground. Zechs stands up and adjusts his knee brace, while Wufei watches him with a possessive look in his eyes. I just shake my head and start jogging away.

Heero and Duo stand up last, and we begin running. Heero and Duo run to the front and skip the usual, warming up pace, in favor of a more grueling one, a pace that could be interpreted as 'we're running like our lives depend on it.' "What the hell, you two?" I shout ahead of me as I try to find the pace. Duo cackles to the morning sun and continues running without answering me. As we all settle into the fierce cadence, Duo and Heero run in synch, chatting about something I can't quite hear, but I'm fine with that since Trowa and I are talking about what the coming week is going to look like for us. Zechs and Wufei take up the rear and seem to be in a deep conversation about some very existential topic that I only have interest in when I am stoned.

When Heero and Duo finally lead us back to the parking lot, we have run a little more than eight miles in the time it usually takes for us to run five, and we all are running topless with our shirts tucked into the back of our shorts. We walk a few laps around the parking lot to begin cooling down, and Duo trots up next to me and makes a shooing motion towards Trowa. My boyfriend smiles, laughs, and shakes his head. "Have fun." He says, before kissing me and trotting over to walk with Heero.

"So?" Duo looks at me expectantly.

"So, what?" I return the look.

"So. You have a goofy grin on your face." He crosses his arms across his bare chest.

"I do not." Then after a pause. "We did not." I add.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow and turns so he is walking backwards and facing me.

"Yes, really."

Duo watches me for a moment without saying anything. "No, I don't suppose you did. So for a straight, how did he do?"

I feel heat spread across my neck and face. "It was nice." I say, not meeting his eyes.

"Just nice?"

I give him the 'not now' look, and he smirks and moves back to walk by my side.

I slow our pace down a tad, putting more distance between ourselves and Trowa and Heero "I like him a lot, Duo."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see his features soften and a warm smile caress his lips. "I know. Just be careful. And I know I can't tell you to not let him capture your heart, because he's already done that. All I can say is to be careful with what happens from this point forward. But I'm not really one to talk. I went from hating Heero to being so in love with him that it hurts at times." I nod. "Just make sure he's the one you want to give your heart to. It's been trampled on enough by other assholes who you thought really cared for you, but turned out to be the worst type of user fag." He stops and gives me a cheeky grin. "But on a slightly lighter note, I don't think there is any more doubt in my mind that he's queer."

"Oh, yeah? Why?"

"Because, he looks at you like he wants to devour you whole. In that way you only do when you truly want the person, not in that day-dreamy 'I want to fuck that movie star' way or in that 'you'd be a fun quick lay' way. It is the way Heero and I look at each other. And, for that matter, the way Chang and Blondie look at each other."

From behind us there is a low growl. "Maxwell." Chang warns.

"Oh come off it, Wuffie. I know you and your drop dead gorgeous partner fuck whenever you can." Duo says waving his hand dismissingly without turning around.

I, on the other hand, have to see Wufei's face and look over my shoulder in time to see Zechs grab his boyfriend's arms, pull him into a tight embrace and give him a quick, calming kiss. Before Zechs pulls his head away, I see his lips move, and his boyfriend begins to sputter. "I do not." Wufei says loudly and then attempts to shrink from sight as all eyes turn to him due to his outburst.

Duo laughs heartily and resumes our conversation just as Trowa's eyes look me over before he turns back to resume his conversation with Heero. "See it's that look."

"That's lust." I observe.

"Nah, not completely. There's something else there."

"You're such a pain in the ass."

"Only to Heero's ass, and only when we're playing really rough." He winks and trots off to his fiancé.

* * *

Monday and Tuesday fly by in an almost euphoric haze. Trowa and I go to classes, pass notes in the sociology class we both have, meet whenever we can throughout the day, and finally meet up at 'home.' We spend the rest of the night doing homework and rewarding ourselves with heated make-out sessions which culminate in blow-jobs and mind-blowing orgasms. Really, I can't complain too much. Though, by this morning, Wednesday, the need to take him and be taken by him is steadily growing stronger, and I can't stop thinking about what making love to him is going to be like. And thinking about it isn't making the situation any better. In fact, it is making things worse, and all I want to do is uncharacteristically pound him into the mattress.

"Fuck!" I mutter as I walk back to my apartment to get ready for the ritual Wednesday night dinner. I've either got to jerk off or get head before we go, or I'm not going to make it through dinner without getting hard in the middle of the restaurant, and I would like to avoid that potentially awkward and embarrassing situation.

I bypass my apartment and make my way to his to see if he's beaten me back from classes. His door is open, and I knock as I walk in. He peeks up from the text book he is reading and smirks. I close the door as he rises, and we meet in a passionate kiss complete with grinding hips and groping hands. Clothing quickly becomes a moot point as we strip the offending garments off and we fall onto the futon, the wood groaning from the force of our impact.

We waste no time getting each other off, neither of us lasting long at all. My hypothesis is that knowing we're supposed to be somewhere else, instead of sixty-nine-ing each other, heightens the sensation for both of us. Sometimes time constraints can be fun. After righting ourselves on the couch, Trowa gets up and stretches in all his naked glory. Allah, I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching him do that. "Hey," he says as he finishes the stretch.

"Hi." I grin, stand up, and pull him close. "That was fun."

He kisses me. "It was." The corner of his mouth turns up in wicked little smile.

"Hold that thought for after dinner." I push away from him.

Trowa smirks. "I can't promise that it'll wait until after dinner, but I'll try." This time he pulls me close and kisses me with an intensity that goes straight to my groin.

With a protesting groan, I place my hands on his chest and push gently. "Get dressed. We need get going." He steps back until his hands can no longer reach me, and we go looking for the location of the clothes we haphazardly tossed across the room earlier.

Quickly, we get dressed and leave, making a quick stop at my apartment to brush our teeth and make ourselves presentable. As we pull up to the restaurant, we see that Duo's Mazda, Wufei's bike, and Sally's Suburban have all beaten us here. I give Trowa a sheepish look and he leans over and kisses me. "They were going to assume we were doing something even if they hadn't beaten us." He says with a grin and gets out of the car.

As we walk towards our table, Duo bounds over to me and wraps his arm around my neck. "How ya doing Q-ball." He gives me a toothy grin, and I push him off of me.

"I'm doing fine Duo." He cocks his head to the side as if to say are you doing fine or are you doing _fine_. "Fuck off you perv." I say playfully and punch him squarely on the bicep.

"Oh, you wound me to the deep, Quatre." Duo mock swoons and Heero catches him by the braid and pulls him back to the table.

"What the hell did you feed him?" I ask Heero, who shrugs. Just as he sits down, he flashes me a mischievous smirk and turns his attention to the group at the table.

I, too, look around the table and notice a new face sitting next to Sally. I also notice a lack of faces. Dorothy and Relena are missing, as well as Catherine and Hilde. "Where the hell are the girls?" I ask Zechs, knowing that out of everyone, he would know.

As Sally gives me the evil eye, Zechs answers. "Well the Good Doctor is here." He motions to Sally. "My sister and Dorothy are at a meeting that they absolutely could not miss. Catherine, I believe, is working on an essay due tomorrow morning, and Hilde is picking Noin up at the airport. I don't think we'll be seeing them tonight." He says with a coy smile.

I walk around to Sally and give her a hug. "So, you going to introduce me?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "For someone who should have class oozing out of your pores, Winner, you are sometimes severely lacking in tact." She squeezes one of my hands and looks over at her date. "This is Brad. Brad this is Quatre, and the tall, quiet one is Trowa."

My jaw drops. "Brad? As in your med school rival?"

She sighs again. "There is that lack of tact again, Winner. And yes, that Brad."

I grin and lean over Sally and extend my hand to Brad. "Good to finally meet you. I'm glad you could join us tonight."

He takes my hand and shakes it firmly with a smile. "Thank you. Sally's told me all about you all, so it is nice to finally meet everyone. Well, almost everyone, as the _girls_ are MIA" He says with a cheeky grin as Sally swats violently at his shoulder.

"Anyone want some wine?" Then she shoots a look to Duo. "None for you, Maxwell."

"Yes, mother." He says, sits down next to Heero and plays with his silverware.

"Or you, for that matter, Winner." I grumble dramatically and sit next to Duo, while Trowa takes the seat between me and Sally. Not like I actually wanted any alcohol, but it is fun to get Sally all huffy.

The rest of dinner proceeds smoothly and enjoyably. I steal a quick glance around the table and note that everyone seems to be enjoying each other's company. For the most part, Duo and Heero are in their own world. So much so, that they disappear for a bit of time between dinner and dessert. Wufei and Zechs are conversing with Sally and Brad, while Trowa and I throw our two cents in every so often. I cannot help but smile as I watch the two newcomers to the group. Both Brad and Trowa seem to have found a comfortable place in our circle, and from what I can tell, the others are more than willing to bring them into the fold.

As dinner comes to an end, Zechs reveals the plans for the weekend. The party is to be held at the Peacecraft Palace. Festivities will begin around ten in the morning on Saturday and more than likely continue into Sunday. All we have to do is bring ourselves and make sure we have things needed for staying over and swimwear if we want to relax in the jacuzzi. With that out of the way, the couples part ways and go home.

The remainder of the week goes by quickly. Trowa and I continue to spend every free hour with each other, whether it be while doing school related work or other more pleasurable activities. Still, we do not venture past oral sex. Though I'm breathless and stupid by the time he's done going down on me, I am physically satiated, but mentally, I still want more. In my moments alone, the memories of the intense love making sessions Tristan and I would have keep surfacing. And I know I want that level of intimacy with Trowa.

I'm frustrated with myself and my constantly comparing Trowa and Tristan. But it seems logical to a point, like I'm using Tristan as a scale to gauge Trowa against. But that doesn't seem all that fair either. How can a new lover possibly compare with the memory of my first love? He can't. _Fuck!_

I let out an overly dramatic sigh and an arm snakes around my waist. "Sleep, and stop thinking too much." Trowa mumbles sleepily.

"Huh?" I pause and look over my shoulder at him. I can barely see his silhouette from the light of the streetlamps outside. "How did you know?"

"You tensed up and then exhaled like you were thinking hard." He pulls me backwards so he is spooning me. "Go sleep. Fun day tomorrow. Need rest." He mumbles as he buries his face into my hair.

"Ok." I say softly, squeeze his hand, and settle back into his embrace.

"Good." He barely whispers and kisses the back of my head.

I fall asleep moments later to the soft rhythmic breathing of the man spooning up behind me. And it would not be the first time I think this, but things really seem to be going someplace wonderful.


	15. The Bachelors' Party

The idea of a gay bachelor party is just weird to me, which is why the 'bachelor' party is really a pre-marital celebration. We're completely glossing over the fact that everyone attending the pre-marital ceremony will also be there for the wedding ceremony and are using it as an excuse for Prince Peacecraft to throw one of his amazing private parties.

Zechs' parties are the best in Sanq, followed closely by the ones thrown by Relena, myself and Treize. Zechs tends to excel at the private affairs, while he lets his little sister orchestrate the larger and grander affairs. This party will feed the glutton in all of us, to the point where we're not going to need a thing for the next two days save for ourselves.

At five-fifty the alarm sounds, signaling it is time to go running. "I'd don't wanna get up." I whine and turn over after shutting off the alarm.

Arms wrap around me and squeeze. "Come on." Trowa says and maneuvers to give me a kiss.

"Mmm. Couldn't we just do this all morning?" I slink my arms awkwardly around his neck and kiss him back.

"We will have time when we get back from running and before we leave for the party. So come on." Trowa manages to get out of my arms and climbs over me. As soon as his feet are solidly planted on the ground, he offers me his hand, and I begrudgingly slide from the cozy place under the blankets.

Despite my protests, I am glad that he manages to get me out of bed because the morning is beautiful. There is a break in the humidity and there is a warm, relaxing breeze blowing. It is a perfect day for celebrating. I just hope that they have similar weather for the wedding next weekend.

The entire group is gathered in our usual area, and it appears that our fan club has figured out that we are running an hour earlier now, as they are now gathering as close as Zechs allows them to. The tittering and the gossiping coming from our adoring fans grates on me this morning. I think it is because I want today, and this weekend for that matter, to be about the people I am close to. I want our run to be private and intimate, but with the mob of fan girls and boys around us that is impossible.

"What's wrong?" Trowa whispers, his lips grazing my ear.

There is an explosion of chatter from the fan girls, and I sigh loudly. "That is the matter."

He grins and offers me a hand up. "What do you expect? You're incredibly handsome, I might even go as far as beautiful, rich, and fantastically gay." He lisps the 'fantastically gay' bit and does the limp wrist thing, and I can't help but stifle a laugh. "You're a celebrity in your own right. Well you and Zechs. People want something to talk about and you and Zechs are rather juicy morsels here on campus." His eyes roam hungrily from head to foot, and suddenly I feel like I'm not wearing enough clothing.

I growl and run my fingers through my hair. "I didn't ask for this."

"No, but you were given it." His tone softens a bit, becoming more serious.

I grumble nonsensically and look around to see where everyone is. As it turns out, they are all watching Trowa and myself quietly. Everyone is sporting an amused smile on their face, including Wufei.

"What?" I ask defensively.

"Nothing Q-man. Let's get running. We've got more exciting things to do today." Duo grins back at me as he grabs Heero's arm and tugs. "Come on slow pokes." And with those words, we were off.

During the run and cool off, we kept discussions to a minimum since speaking about what is on our minds is personal and not something we think Heero or Duo want the fan club knowing. No one mentions the party that will kick off in a few hours, or anything about the wedding next week, or my relationship with Trowa. Though I doubt it would take anyone long to put two and two together, since we're always around each other and in each other's personal space.

With the cool down done, everyone goes back to their own homes to prepare for the party. Trowa and I head back to the apartments to get ready. As I close the door to the apartment, Trowa grabs my hand, I smile, and simultaneously we pull each other close, falling into a violent embrace.

"Shower." I murmur through short, needy kisses.

He nods his head and his 'mmhum' is muffled by our inability to stop kissing each other. Getting to the bathroom across my small living room is a challenge, seeing as the couch and coffee table somehow manage to get in our way. The couch is understandable, but I have no clue how we manage to trip over the end table, but we do.

By the time we make it to the bathroom, clothes are completely off, not like we had a hell of a lot to take off to begin with. I break our kiss long enough to get the shower on and the water to a decent temperature. Meanwhile, Trowa keeps himself occupied by kissing whatever skin he can and letting his hands wander over my body. I turn around and grab his hands with a grin. Carefully, I step back over the tub wall into the warm spray and pull on his arm gently until he too, steps into the shower.

As I close the curtain, I push him against the wall. He looks slightly confused, then shivers with his eyes closed as his body registers the cold tile on his back. I take the opportunity to take control of the moment and reach for the body wash.

Trowa opens his eyes with the movement, and he watches me open the bottle and squeeze some soap into the palm of my hand. "Just tell me when you want me to stop." I say in my most alluring voice and rub my hands together forming a thick lather.

"Am I going to want you to stop?" He asks.

"Probably not, but I just want you to know the option is there and I won't take offense if you tell me to stop." I say softly while I nip at his jaw and place my hands on his chest. Trowa's eyes slip closed as I begin to run my soap slick hands over his skin. Starting at his neck and ever so slowly working my way down, I massage the skin and muscles under my hands, making a very slow descent to his chest. He whimpers quietly as I slide my hands over hardened nipples and involuntarily thrusts his hips towards me. My eyes dart downward for a moment, just long enough to see how aroused he is, and I am not disappointed. But all in good time.

I take my time teasing his nipples, making sure that I play with them enough to have him pleading for more. Before I continue my exploration downward, I reach for the soap again and lather up to replenish what the water has washed away.

Content with the lather, I continue my path downward, letting my fingers explore every line of his sculpted muscles. I purposely move past his erection, despite my wish to bring him to climax, and begin to gently massage his scrotum, loving the way it tightens up and pulls his testicles to safety. Trowa's breath hitches and a low moan escapes his lips as I run my hands teasingly along his inner thighs and brush over the taught sac.

"Turn so you are facing the back of the shower." I murmur loud enough to be heard above the water. He looks confused, but does as I say and turns around so he is facing the wall. As much as I love just touching Trowa, I need more at this moment, so I run a sudsy hand down his backside, over firm glutes and tease his perineum. With another moan, he puts his arms out and leans on the shower wall for support. I tease towards the cleft, showing my intentions. "Do I stop?" Trowa violently shakes his head 'no' and spreads his legs as wide as the shower will allow him to.

I grin triumphantly and with a soapy finger, I gently tease up the cleft. He moans again as I brush the tight ring of muscle. I grin and slide my finger down again, this time stopping to tease the muscle. My grin widens as a low guttural groan escapes Trowa's throat.

"Turn back around." I command, and he complies as I kneel down in front of him. I take a deep breath and begin to suck him off while I resume teasing the tight, sensitive ring.

Trowa jumps and looks down at me. "What…?" He began in a slight daze. I hadn't expected that much of a reaction, but I'll gladly take it.

"Just enjoy." I say and run my tongue over his sac and suck on it. Trowa nods weakly and leans back using the wall as support, and I begin my work in earnest.

Soon my boyfriend is wriggling and panting and thrusting into my mouth, desperately trying to get off. "Quatre." He whimpers, and I wiggle my finger past the tight muscle and gently search for his prostate, while watching for any signs of discomfort. Which there aren't. His eyes go wide as my finger enters him, but I don't see any signs of pain. Then, when I brush against the sensitive gland, he practically falls forward, catching himself by bracing against my shoulders. I smirk and, between my finger and tongue, he doesn't last long and violently cums in my mouth. .

I stand up and push my hair out of my face, and Trowa leans back against the wall again as he pants lightly. "Holy, shit Quat, that felt so fucking good." I beam a huge smile, proud of a job well done.

Trowa pushes against the wall and wraps his long arms around me and then looks between us and then to me with worry in his eyes. "Water's going to get cold." I say, very ready to ignore the throbbing in my groin.

"I plan on making it so you need a shower again." He rebuttals.

"Better than freezing cold water." I point out.

"This is true." Trowa grins and reaches for the shampoo. We manage to speed wash and get out of the shower just as the last of the hot water disappears out of the stream. The shock of the cold water does not diminish my arousal. Part of me wishes it had, because it aches in a bad way, but at the same time, when I finally get to cum it should be nothing short of phenomenal.

The bed proves to be way too far away for Trowa, seeing that as we get out of the shower, his lips and hands are all over my skin. He backs me into the couch and pushes me down. I moan with delight as his talented tongue paints swirls of saliva all over my stomach and abdomen. My body does nothing but squirm seeking to make contact with his body, while my hips thrust on their own volition. A strong hand pushes down gently on my abdomen. "Shuush Quat. Calm down just a little, I don't want to hurt you."

Somewhere in the haze of pleasure, I realize that there are some places that teeth should just not come in contact with, and I will myself to calm a little and enjoy Trowa's oh-so-talented mouth. Lasting for any length of time is not an option, and I come too quickly for my tastes. But, oh well, it is still wonderful.

"Sorry." I murmur and Trowa looks at me with a confused look on his face. "Too soon." I frown.

"Not really." He smiles and positions himself so we can kiss. "You needed it."

I give him a goofy, satiated grin and make to roll off of the couch. Trowa moves as I do so as to not be thrown to the ground.

"What time do you want to get there?"

"Mmm. I'm not exactly sure what time it is." I look around my living room only to realize that I do not have anything that tells time here.

"That aside, what time?" Trowa grins at me.

"Ten-ish sounds good to me." He nods and wanders into the bedroom. As Trowa goes to discover the time, I jump in the shower for a rinse. By the time I'm done, Trowa is in the bathroom getting ready to brush his teeth, still completely naked. Allah, he's so nice to look at.

"It is almost nine-thirty."

I give him the 'no way in hell' look, and he smiles. "How did it get to be that late?"

"I would say that I would show you, but then we'll be very late."

I grumble a bit as I towel dry, and Trowa just watches me with a smile. I hang up my towel and lightly hip check him away from the sink, so I can brush my teeth as well. Once we're done, we go to get dressed and pack for the weekend. Trowa dresses and runs over to his apartment to gather the items that haven't made it to the dresser in the guest room yet. Mainly, his swim trunks.

I pack enough clothing to last at least four days. Why, you may ask? Well simply put, it is a party. And we all get stupid when drunk and high. I can't tell you how many drinks and dinners I've had dumped on me over the years.

As I finish putting my toiletries in my overnight bag, Trowa walks back in. "Don't forget the folder for Heero and Duo."

"Shit," I mutter and rush to get the folder containing the details of the soon-to-be-newlyweds' honeymoon from the coffee table. It had come during the week, and I had tossed it aside in the chaos that was the first week of school with a brand new practically live in boyfriend. I jam the folder into my bag so I won't it forget it and look at Trowa. "Ready."

He nods. "As ready as I'll ever be." With a fluid motion, he picks his bag up off the ground and slings it over his shoulder. He then reaches over to my rack of keys, takes a set off and tosses it to me. I catch them and look to see which car he has decided on. The Rover? I turn the keys over in my hands. He gives me a cheeky grin and says something about a big back seat as he opens the door and walks out. I tell him he's a pervert in return and follow him out, making sure I have everything and that the door is locked.

We manage not to dawdle on the way to the car, and surprisingly, we get out of the garage without too much delay. The drive to the palace is a beautiful one, as there is no direct highway access to the part of the palace we are going to. We let the windows down, open the moon roof, and jack Flogging Molly up so it can be heard over the din of the wind.

We wind our way through back roads, passing several signs for the Peacecraft Palace – those signs are for the everyday throng, not for personal friends – until we reach a large black and gold wrought iron gate. I stop momentarily to key in the code to open the gate and continue on when it is safe too.

Trowa turns to me with curiosity in his eyes. "I don't see the house."

"We've still got two miles to go and a few more gates. The closer you get the heavier the security." I explain as I drive.

"And you have all the codes?"

"I have Quatre Winner's codes. We all have our own which catalogue who is accessing the gates." I explain as another gate comes into view. This gate requires a longer password, and I key it in. The next one requires a thumb scan, and the final one is a retinal scan. At the point of the retinal scan, we are hovering on the outskirts of the private parking. As the gate opens, I see Duo's car and Treize's Bentley, which causes me to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Trowa looks at me like I have two heads.

"See the Bentley?" He nods. "See the car seats in the back?" He nods again and I grin. "I don't tend to think of Bentleys as family cars. The image of babies being hauled around in one makes me laugh."

Understanding dawns on my boyfriend's face, and he chuckles. "I take it that the Bentley belongs to the proud parents of twins."

"Yup," I nod, park next to the Mazda, grab my things, and get out of the car. I lead Trowa across the parking area to a large bay door. I glance over at him as we walk, and I smile as he looks around with a child's fascination. I slide the glass door open and walk through. "Hello." I say loudly after ascertaining that no one is in the kitchen. I hear Trowa mutter a 'wow' as he follows me in, and I slide the door closed behind him.

"In here." Zechs pokes his head into the kitchen from the dining room, gives us a smile and disappears again.

I glance around the kitchen and notice that there are two empty bottles of champagne on the forest green marble counters along with a half-full bottle of sparkling cider. Mimosas, mmm. I lead Trowa into the dining room and see Zechs talking to Treize and Lady. Interestingly, there are no little girls with them. The others are nowhere in sight.

"Give me those and say hello." Zechs takes our bags before we can say anything about it and disappears to deposit them somewhere.

"Congratulations." I grin at the proud parents and give each a hug in turn.

"Thank you." They both reply happily, but I can hear the tiredness in their voices.

"So where are they?" I look around and see two empty carriers and no twins.

"Heero wandered off with them." Treize replies with a chuckle.

"Heero?" That got me. I am having trouble with the image of Heero wandering around with two newborns.

Lady answers this time. "Duo had the same look on his face when he walked in and found Heero holding Maia." She looks tired but happy. Her hair is pulled back in a high pony tail and is still wearing clothes on the looser side. Her face shows some baby weight, but it really doesn't make her any less attractive.

"Stop ogling my wife." Treize says in jest, and I stick my tongue out at him.

"My dear Lady." I take her hand and kneel on one knee in front of her. "Though you are the very picture of feminine beauty, you husband can be rest assured that I was not ogling you."

She grins and pulls me up. I have this habit of forgetting how strong she is. "Speaking of which, are you going to introduce us?"

"Of course." I finish standing and motion for Trowa to come closer. He does so and takes my hand at the same time. "This is Trowa Barton, my boyfriend. Trowa this Lady and Treize Khushrenada."

Trowa drops my hand and proceeds to shake hands. "A pleasure."

Lady smiles at Trowa and offers me a mischievous, approving wink. "Have you met everyone?"

"I think the only person I haven't met yet is Noin." He looks at me for confirmation that he is correct, and I nod my head.

"I believe Lucrezia called not too long ago and said she was running late." Treize adds with an amused smirk.

I was about to add something when Duo enters the room and interrupts. "You two just had to bring the babies, didn't you?"

"And what did you think we'd do with them? They're newborns, Duo." Treize says in a slightly condescending tone.

"A babysitter? Someone other than Heero?" Duo says in quiet hysterics and produces his camera, turns it on and to review mode, and shoves the camera in Treize's face.

He takes the camera and looks at the image, and his face morphs into a huge smile. "Now isn't that adorable?"

"No, it's not fucking adorable. I'm not ready for kids." Hysterics turn to panic, and Treize hands the camera to Lady who smiles. "Well they seem happy." As she hands the camera to me, it goes back into picture taking mode. I switch it back, and Trowa stands behind me to look as well. The picture is of Heero in one of the big, insanely comfortable recliners, dozing with two sleeping babies on his chest.

"Well, luckily you two don't have to worry about accidental pregnancy." Treize says quietly and shoots Lady a quick, slightly annoyed look. The tension between the two rose to an uncomfortable level.

"Don't you fucking start Khushrenada." Lady hisses at her husband and gives him a look that makes Heero's glare seem like child's play. As Treize readies a comeback, Lady excuses herself, makes her way past Duo and out of the room.

I watch Treize watch his wife walk out and all the sudden, I feel a wave of remorse and worry emanate from him. "Well, that was fun." Duo breaks the awkward silence with a clap of his hands. "This is my party Treize, so you better make up with your wife. I know for a fact, she's got the ability to make your life far more hellish than twin girls."

Treize sighs. "I know." He turns around, unblocking my view of dining room table, and I see the makings of the mimosas and grin. Treize fixes himself a glass and then heads out of the room, a pathetic and beaten man.

As Treize vacates his place in front of the table, I move in to make myself a glass of brunch decadency. I look over my shoulder at Trowa and hold up a glass, silently asking if he wants one. He nods his head, and I mix two glasses up.

"You're not going to make me one?" Duo comes up behind me and whines playfully.

"You're capable of doing it yourself." I reply as I turn and hand Trowa his glass. "I think we should say 'hello' to the father in training." I grin as Duo sputters nonsense. "You are getting married Duo. A family _would_ be the next step since you already own a house." I torment him a bit more as Trowa and I walk out of the dining room, drinks in hand.

The kitchen opens up into a large multi-purpose room. Directly outside the entryway, on the right is a large, insanely well-stocked bar with nothing but top shelf alcohols adorning it. To the left is the main portion of the room. It is large, probably about the side of mine and Trowa's apartments combined, with a vaulted ceiling to keep the openness about it. There is a large panel television on the far wall surrounded by all types of furniture designed for superior comfort.

The built-in mahogany shelving lining the back wall, is full of music, movies, books, and all kinds of entertainment. Heero is in the far corner with the sleeping babies, appearing to be asleep as well. Lady is standing at in front of one of the floor to ceiling windows by the bar. Treize is standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist and his lips at her ear. No doubt trying to make up for the comment he just made.

"God, he looks like a natural." Duo says from behind us as he peers across the room at his fiancé.

"You two will make wonderful parents if you ever decide to have children." I take a sip of my drink and wrap my arm around Trowa's waist.

"I think we will. We talk about it every once and a while, more in passing than anything. But I think we both want the family that neither of us had." Duo says with a smile.

"Allah. I can only imagine." I say with mock dramatics.

Duo grins at me and walks across the room to Heero, who remains asleep up until Duo lithely slides onto the large arm of the chair and curls up next to him. I can see Heero open his eyes, cradle the twins and adjust his position. From what I can tell, he moves over a bit as Duo then moves from the arm to the seat, flush with Heero. The girls remain asleep through the little shuffle, and the boys close their eyes.

"Well that's exciting." I murmur and down the rest of my drink.

"Oh, come on, it's cute. Don't be jealous." Trowa says quietly as he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close, kissing me soundly.

"Cute, yes. But the life of the party just curled up for a nap."

"That's weak Quat." Trowa chuckles and kisses me again. "We're just missing people. Come on, sit down and relax." His arm slides off my shoulder, and he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the closest couch. He places his half empty glass on the end table and pulls me into his arms as he falls back onto the cushions.

I move a bit so I am straddling his stomach with my arms wrapped around his neck and acting really cute. I vaguely wonder where our host has gone, but as I hear a loud thud from the ceiling above me, I cease my musings and wonder if Wufei had been here the entire time.

I'm not sure how long we stay making out on the couch, but we stop as a sharp feminine voice rings through the room. "I'm here, the party can now start."

There is a chorus of 'shhs' immediately after she announces her arrival, and I glance over at the corner where Heero and Duo rest with the twins. They move restlessly and for a moment I think we might be lucky and the four will remain asleep. But, we aren't so lucky and one of the girls moves, wakes up, and begins to cry, which causes Heero to startle, causing the other twin to awaken.

"Relena…" Lady sighs and briskly walks past us to her babies, with Treize on her heels. I watch a moment longer as Heero hands one bright red faced baby to Lady and the other to Treize and when they are left the alone, Duo pulls Heero back into the recliner for a little more cuddle time.

"Brilliant, Relena." I comment with a playful smile on my lips as I get off of the couch and pull Trowa up as well.

"How was I supposed to know there were babies here?" She said defensively.

"The Bentley with two baby car seats in it?"

"Shove it Winner. Stop being a wise ass."

Allah, she could be a bitch sometimes. Then I notice that it was not Dorothy who trailed behind her, but our usual Wednesday night waiter. "Where's your girlfriend, Relena?"

"We, ah… broke up?"

Well, she sounds sure of herself. "You don't sound so sure about that." I watch her fiddle with the hem of her shirt and take an intense interest in her nails. "Is she going to be here tonight?"

"Ah, I don't know. Things are under negotiation." Her big blue eyes dance about the room, and she pales when she sees that everyone else is looking at her.

I smirk. "What exactly is under negotiation, Relena?"

Relena squirms a bit and Trowa walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. "I don't want to talk about it right now." She says with a huff. "Where's my brother?"

"Upstairs, I think." I say simply, conveniently leaving out the part where she might want to think twice about going upstairs.

She turns with a flourish and storms off towards the area where the stairwell is. We all watch her leave and as soon as she is out of the room, the poor guy that Relena brought with her smiles and takes a few steps towards me, closing the distance.

"Welcome to the Peacecraft Palace, Mark. Or have you been here before?" I ask as we shake hands.

I think he actually blushes a bit. "I've been here before." He pauses for a moment as if debating with himself on something. "We'd come here so Relena could get away Dorothy."

"Ah." I chuckle. "Well, welcome. And this is Trowa." I point to the guy holding me from behind.

Trowa reaches out, and he and Mark shake hands. "Hi."

All pleasantries stop as Relena runs into the living room squealing something. She's bright red and looks more embarrassed than mad. I'm pretty sure she found her brother. "What the fuck is wrong with boys!" She glares at Heero and Duo and then whips her head around to me. "Can't you fucking keep it in your pants for _any_ length of time?" In fact, I believe she found her brother having sex with his boyfriend.

"We haven't had sex yet." I declare, and Duo pipes up from the corner. "We've," he motions between himself and Heero, "Already had sex in your bathroom Princess. And I bet you your weekly allowance that you've already gotten cock this morning."

Allah, he could be so crude, but the look on her face and the matching one on Mark's means that Duo nailed it. "That was crude Duo." I chastise playfully.

"But true." He points to Relena who is still stuttering. "So have you given up pussy for dick?"

"Why do you care Maxwell?" She strikes her typical defiant pose, setting her hands on her hips.

"Just curious if you're creepy forked eyebrow girlfriend will be coming round anymore." He turns and sticks out his pierced tongue at Treize (when the hell had gotten that modification done? And how did I never notice?) who had cleared his throat at the mention of creepy forked eyebrows. "Or if you're planning to try to make a threesome work."

Relena stutters more, Heero wraps his arms around Duo and hides his laughter behind his love's shoulder, and Trowa plants little kisses down the side of my neck. Allah, it was beginning, I could feel the hormone level in the room jump several notches.

It was at this point I realize that the babies aren't crying, and I look over at Lady and Treize and see them standing together rocking their girls in a sleep inducing cadence. Then, something I can't see catches the new parents' eyes and they walk off towards where the stairs to the upstairs are. Moments later, Wufei comes wandering out looking slightly bewildered, and Duo breaks out laughing. I choose to ignore them.

"I'm really sorry Mark, this can't be all that comfortable for either you or Relena. Though, I would have thought Relena would have warned you of the possible reactions from the locals."

"That's enough, Quatre. We should drop the topic now." Relena steps between Mark and myself and holds out her hands.

"Relena, I would tell that to Duo, not to me." She harrumphs a bit and marches over to the chair where Heero is groping Duo.

"Don't even try it Princess. Our party, our rules." He grins and bounces to his feet. "Wuffie, how ya doin'?" He walks over and slaps Wufei on the back and I turn my attention back to Relena, who is taking Mark's hand and mumbling something about hating everyone because they were mean to her.

I turn in Trowa's arms so I am facing him. "Tonight's going to be entertaining, isn't it?"

"You have no idea." With a chuckle, I lean in to kiss him.

We spend the rest of the morning snacking on fruit and drinking mimosas. Relena disappears somewhere into the bowels of the palace with her new plaything and the proud parents re-appear, Treize now donning a small, white walkie-talkie device on his belt, that I can only assume, links to a unit where the twins are sleeping.

Duo produces a deck of cards from somewhere and starts dealing them out on the coffee table in front of the recliner he and Heero are still sharing. I notice that Duo is dealing out enough hands to entertain eight people. "We're playing Bull Shit, so come over."

Trowa and I walk over to the table and take a seat on the thick, plush carpet. Zechs, Wufei, Lady and Treize follow and all find a place on the ground to sit. Duo slides off the recliner to the floor, while Heero remains in the chair, the tail of Duo's braid in his hand. "Why are we playing Bull Shit?" Heero asks as he plays with the braid.

"Because it will be fun with eight people, and it will pass the time until Sally is no longer on call, and Brad is off duty, and until Hil' and Luc' decide they've fucked enough to make up for being apart for as long as they have been."

"Maxwell, you're so vulgar sometimes." Zechs says with a sly smile.

"Sometimes, Peacecraft? Shit, I've got to try harder."

Heero leans over and firmly bites Duo where his neck meets his shoulder. "Behave."

"Yuy, how does biting me make me want to behave? If anything it will make me want to misbehave that much more." Duo grins up at Heero and quickly kisses him. "The game is Bull Shit, gentlemen and Lady. If you are the sucker with the Two of Clubs, put it down, and let's get this game rolling."

"Any alternate rules?" Trowa chimes in and Duo gives him a devilish grin. "As much as I would love to, I would feel bad about having that much of a lead on Hil' and Luce. That is, if you all can catch me."

"Two of Clubs." Wufei says brusquely and places the card face down in the middle of the table.

"Three, threes." Duo smacks the cards down on the table in a single pile.

We play until to the bitter end. Lady manages to be completely out of cards before we actually realize it. Duo, due to a distracting Heero, is the loser. Though, for a while, it looked like Wufei was going to be loser due to a distracting Zechs. For some reason, perhaps it is the sadist in me, I enjoy seeing Wufei get flustered. When he was married to Meiran, he was always so calm and, for the most part, emotionless. Zechs has been good for him; removed the stick from his ass and fucked him into the mattress until he forgot who he was. I kid you not. I was the fortunate, or unfortunate depending on how you look at it, one to be Wufei's confidant during his journey to 'enlightenment.'

"Next time, we play with liquor and other rules." Duo declares and stands up to stretch, while everyone follows suit.

I grin and Trowa replies. "Bring it on Duo. You don't stand a chance." My boyfriend grins, and I feel his hand run down my back, caress my bum and stay there. I look at him, a bit confused with how my ass fits into a game of BS. Not that I really care, he can touch me as much as he wants. I reach around the arm around my back and pull him to me, grinding my hips into him. He moans softly and lowers his lips to mine. We proceed to lock lips in an indecent fashion until I feel a sharp smack to the cheek that Trowa isn't groping.

"Winner don't you have any manners? You should wait until all the guests are here before you devour your boyfriend in the living room."

I break my kiss with Trowa, turn around, quickly locate the person who had swatted my ass and threw my arms around her neck. "Luce, you are such a bitch."

She wraps her arms around my waist and we embrace tightly. "But you missed me, didn't you?"

"Of course. Really, Hilde's whining was getting annoying. I hoped you fucked her good enough to last until your next visit."

Lucrezia smiles a wicked little smile. "I haven't even come close, but I've got another week and a half to do that. Though, would you be satisfied with two weeks of intense sex and then a year without your gorgeous green-eyed partner getting you off?" She whispers teasingly in my ear.

I swallow heavily. "Ah, that would be a no."

She smirks and stands up. "I thought so." She then looks to Trowa. "Figures Quatre would find the most beautiful bachelor on campus." She holds out her hand to my boyfriend. "Lucrezia Noin. Though the guys call me Noin or Luce. Either's fine."

Trowa takes her hand and shakes it. "Trowa Barton. And I seriously doubt I was the most beautiful bachelor on campus." He replies with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, and Luce gives him the 'you are full of shit' look.

I stifle a laugh at that and get an elbow to the side. "Oh come on. Take the compliment." I move between him and Luce and wrap my arms around his waist, press against him and whispers seductively in his ear. "And you are even more beautiful when you are writhing on the bed naked."

"Hn," he mumbles, his hands snake into my hair and repositions my head so he can kiss me. Which he does, and does it really, really well.

"Well, okay then. I see we've lost Quatre and Trowa for the rest of the evening." Luce says as Trowa and I once again, as Noin put it, devour each other in the middle of the living room.

"Shit, Q, I didn't think you had that much of an exhibitionist streak in you." Duo compliments from his place next to Heero.

I pull away from Trowa for a moment and turn my head in Duo's direction. "When we act like you and Heero in public, then you have the right to say that." The words escape between soft moans as Trowa's lips travel over my neck.

"When you start fucking you will." He replies cheekily.

"No, we won't." There was a soft chorus of 'you aren't having sex yet?' from some of the peanut gallery, which I completely ignore.

"I can't count on my fingers and toes how many times, you've either 'fessed up to, or have been caught fucking the last guy you really liked in public."

Duo's comment made Trowa stop. "Is he being serious?" I turn my head and look him in the eyes.

"Ah…" I begin, my face turning bright red. "…yeah. Back in high school, I was pretty bad."

"Bad, doesn't even begin to describe it. I caught him and his boy in the girl's bathroom after school one day. And his boy went to another school." Hilde pauses and her brow furls. "What the hell was he doing there anyway? We always met up with Tristan at the park."

I tense for a second as Hilde mentions his name. And I'd been really good about not mentioning his name around Trowa. "Ah, he was there for a cross country meet."

"And he just wandered away for a quick fuck?" She prods more and Lucrezia laughs, moving behind her girlfriend.

"We weren't going to be able to see each other for a few days so we made arrangements to compensate. Though, we didn't count on someone using the bathroom in the science wing. No one ever went there after school."

Luce pulls Hilde back against her and holds her tight. "You're embarrassing Quatre in front of his new boyfriend. Don't you think that is in poor taste love?"

"Nah." Hilde shakes her head. "The Winner heir is not safe, and by the looks of things, I think Trowa likes hearing about the wilder side of Quatre."

Sure enough Trowa's lips were on my neck again. "Don't get any ideas."

"I didn't need Hilde to tell me anything to get ideas. You've already established that I'm a pervert." This is true, but I do not give him the satisfaction of telling him that.

"It's drinking time, everyone." Duo announces suddenly, bouncing to his feet and running over to Zechs who is in the process of opening a bottle of wine at the bar.

"Sally called and said she would be here around four, and that we should get started." He pulls the cork out takes and a whiff of the open bottle. After a moment, he smiles approvingly and places the bottle on the counter. He lines up nine red wine glasses and fills them half way with red wine. Wufei appears next to him and helps to pass out the glasses while Zechs makes up a bubbly juice drink for Lady.

When everyone has their drink, Zechs turns, the fingers on his free hand interlace with Wufei's, and he raises the glass and looks to Heero and Duo. Everyone follows suit and Zechs' speaks. "To the happy couple and to their bright future. And since I am fairly sure there will be enough toasts at the wedding to make us all annoyed, I shall leave it at that." There is a clinking of glass all around, and we all take a sip from our glasses.

"Wow." Trowa says in a hushed voice next to me and I look at him.

"What?" I ask as I try to figure out what he is wowing at.

"This is wonderful." He motions to the wine in his hand, and Zechs chuckles.

"It is from the Peacecraft vineyard in Alsace-Lorraine. It is a bit sweeter than most of what we make there, but it is one of my favorites." He grins and takes another sip. "In fact this year was particularly good." He takes another sip.

"You're such an egotistical asshole." Wufei mutters under his breath as he downs the last of the glass.

Everyone chuckles and Trowa turns to be briefly for an explanation, but is drawn back to looking at Zechs and Wufei.

"It was made the year Zechs was born." I inform him while we watch the show unfolding in front of us.

The prince places his glass down on the bar and does the same with his boyfriend's glass. "Don't be angry."

"I'm not angry." Wufei huffs and everyone's interest peeks more.

"No?" Wufei blushes. "Good, then don't complain. You draw more attention that way." 'Fei turns away but Zechs catches his chin and gently pulls it back and tilts it up. "Or do you want them all to know about…" The rest is said in inaudible whispers behind a curtain of platinum hair.

"Oh come on. You two are disgusting. We all fucking know that 'Fei gets off on all that bondage stuff and that you…" He points to Zechs. "…just had him tied up in your bedroom and fucked him silly." Duo rolls his eyes. "Don't fucking look at me like that Wuffers." He teases with a raunchy smile and takes a few steps to close the distance between himself and our red-faced friend. Zechs smiles, takes a step back and watches.

When he wants to be, Duo can be the most seductive and enticing person I've ever known, and now is one of those moments. He stands face to face with Wufei and puts his hands on 'Fei's hips. He looks from Duo's hands to his face and an expression of panic dances across his features. "Why do you hide it Wu?" Duo is answered with a blank look. One hand leaves 'Fei's waist and runs up his side, and his hips gyrate into our friend's crotch as if he was grinding on a dance floor. "I know you have a sex drive." He leans in closer and Wufei shivers as Duo's lips ghost over his skin. "So loosen up a little." With a wet sloppy kiss, Duo drops his seductive façade and jumps back out of Wufei's immediate range.

"Maxwell." Wufei growls and storms off, out of the crowd, to a chair halfway across the room.

"Wait 'til he gets trashed. He'll be lots more fun." Duo says more to Trowa than to everyone else, since we know that Wufei does indeed loosen up with a few drinks in him.

Changing the subject to be something other than his boyfriend, Zechs speaks up. "You may have anything here. There is no beer, as I am not a particular fan of it. If you are in dire wish to have it, I will have someone run out and get some. There should be plenty juice and soda to cater to a small army, but if you do run out of something, please let me know and I will make sure it is restocked."

"Marijuana is not allowed in the house today since we have two very young guests with us tonight. Any smoking will be done outside." He looks to Trowa. "The rules of the house are that whatever happens here, stays within private walls. You do not talk about it in public places. Other than that, don't trash the place, if you get sick please try to make it to somewhere away from people and respect everyone. Oh, and clothing has a tendency to become optional." Zechs smirks and lowers his voice. "But really that can become the highlight of the night because in this room are some of the most beautiful people in Sanq, and whether you are sober, drunk, or high, they are beautiful to look at."

We all roll our eyes. "You just like watching." Treize and Luce say at the same time and Zechs shrugs. "Real porn is infinitely better than the shit that is made for commercial distribution." He says matter-of-factly, turns around, mixes himself a screwdriver, and heads over to where Wufei sits sulking.

Everyone else does similarly and grabs their own drinks and walks back to where the comfy chairs are. "Does it really get that bad?" Trowa's brow furls and then he smiles. "Or that good?"

"Usually. Most of the time, someone decides on a drinking game involving stripping and kissing other people and then all hell breaks loose. The only rule, when that happens, is that you don't venture further down than the neck unless it has been agreed upon before we're too drunk and high to give a fuck." Trowa nods uncertainly, as if he's rolling something over in his head, but is afraid to say something. "Trying to figure out whether you should participate in the festivities when they get sexed up?"

Trowa's face flares bright red. "Yeah."

"Well, if you're ok with it, I don't care. Everyone here is in fairly permanent relationships in which they are head over heels in love with their partner and trust them implicitly. It is understood that what we do here, stays here." I explain as I mix myself a coconut rum and coke.

"Ok." He says with a smile. "As long as it is you I end up with, I'm happy." He wraps his arms around me as he presses his body flush against my back. "Anyways, I'm completely ok with playing strip games and kissing people. That's all we did at the circus parties. Get stupid and make out with people."

I turn around in his arms and grin like an idiot, insanely glad that I don't have to explain the fact that I become a walking hard-on when I smoke up. It'll be easier to do so when it happens. "That works." We kiss in front of the bar until Duo returns for his second drink.

"Come on you two. Socialize." He gives us a wicked little grin and adds, "But we're not going to complain if you decide to make out on the couch instead." He winks, makes his drink and leaves. We take our drinks and follow, claiming a cozy love seat as our own.

As we sit down, Trowa whispers. "Why don't you give them the info now?"

"Ooh, good idea." I bounce up and look at Zechs. "Which room did you put our stuff in?"

"Your usual one." I nod and bound upstairs to retrieve the folder containing Heero and Duo's honeymoon information. My usual room is two down from Wufei and Zechs.' The room between them has always been Heero and Duo's. Relena's room is way down at the end of the hall, claiming, that as a girl, she needed more space. Upon retrieving the folder, I bound back down the stairs and flop on the love seat next to my boyfriend.

Trowa and I exchange a quick kiss, we sit down on the floor, and I lean forward, offering the entity known as Duo and Heero the folder. Two arms reached out for the folder and Duo, being closer, gets the folder first. He opens it and holds it at an angle that allows Heero to see as well. Within a minute of glancing over the information, my friends are looking at me slack-jawed. "Quatre, this is too much." Heero speaks as Duo seems to be floundering for words.

"Just accept, have fun, and leave all your cares behind."

"Fuck." Duo finally manages to get out.

"And really it isn't all that much. You get an island to yourself for a week and the flight crew gets a vacation in the Caribbean while they are there. The island and the plane belong to the family and the crew like things to do. So enjoy."

"Let me see." Hilde demands, as she grabs for the folder. Duo passes it along, still a little shell shocked, but he's grinning like a fool.

"We're not going to have to wear clothes for a whole fucking week. It will be awesome. No tan lines."

I shake my head and laugh, happy that Duo has accepted the gift and is excited about it. I also know that his enthusiasm will add to Heero's enjoyment of the vacation. I know they would have been completely content to stay in their house for a full week, locked away by themselves, making love whenever they want to, but that would be what they always do. So I didn't give them a chance.

Heero practically purrs as he wraps his arms around Duo. "Sunblock has never sounded sexier." Duo beams at him, gets to his knees, turns around, wraps his arms around Heero's neck, and we lose them to their own little world.

Noin starts laughing. "So, since we've lost Duo and Heero for a while. Anyone up for a game?

At that very moment, Treize's belt begins to cry, and he and Lady both stand to go tend their girls. "They are probably hungry. We'll be back in a bit." Treize said, looking slightly unhappy about having to leave the fun.

Hilde goes over to a closet cleverly camouflaged as part of the wall, opens it up, and pulls several boxes out. Monopoly, Munchkin, Apples to Apples and Jenga appear to be the games of her choice.

"Monopoly." Zechs says as Hilde places the boxes on a random end table. "The others are even better when played with a few drinks in us. Jenga especially." Hilde nods and brings the Monopoly box over to where everyone is sitting.

"Sanq edition?" Trowa asks sounding amused.

Zechs nods with a grin. "Had it made up two years ago. Right after Heero and Duo bought their house. You'll recognize some of the locations right now, and if you hang around long enough, you'll recognize them all." He takes the box and begins to break out the contents and set it up in the middle of the area we are sitting around.

"Do you mind if I just watch?" Trowa asks me quietly.

"Not a fan?"

"No, I like the game fine. Just feel like watching." He offers me a broad grin, crawls behind me and pulls me back against his chest, his long legs rest next to mine on the ground, and his arms encircle my waist. I lean back and rest my head on his shoulder for a moment with my eyes closed. He kisses my neck, and I twist my body slightly so we can kiss.

"Hey lovebirds, time to play." Noin leans across the board and smacks me on my knee.

Those of us who are playing pick our pieces and begin. Wufei is banking. We play for a while, and the game gets heated as the good properties start disappearing. I shout obscenities at Duo when he buys my family's villa in Tuscany, and Hilde blows the boys taunting kisses when she buys their house. Only after Noin claims Sanq Palace as hers, do I notice Hilde glancing my way. At first I simply pass it off as her trying to figure out where my next move is going to be, but when she continues to do it, I shoot her back a look of my own, silently asking what is going on.

She shakes her head, as if to say it is nothing, and we go back to playing. When Hilde claims my mansion after sending me to jail, I get ready to throw a string of classy L4 Colony insults at her when she abruptly starts speaking.

"Hey Trowa, you don't happen to have a brother named Tristan do you?" Trowa, who had been happily holding me and nuzzling my neck, jumped.

"Ah." He hesitates for a moment, and I stare wide-eyed at Hilde. "No. I'm an only child."

"Weird." She responds, obviously not paying attention to my silent pleas not to say anything more. "You really remind me of Quatre's first boyfriend, Tristan. You guys even have the same last name."

I could feel Trowa frown. "Is that a bad thing?"

Hilde, still being oblivious to the fact that the tension in the room just skyrocketed, continued on. "Hell no, Tristan was awesome…" Before she could continue Luce moves and claims her lips, effectively shutting her up.

"Sometimes you are the most oblivious person in the world love." Luce says with a sigh while Heero, Duo, and I stare at her with daggers in our eyes. Wufei and Zechs simply look confused, and I feel a rising sense of panic from Trowa.

I half turn around so I can look him in his emerald eyes. "You ok?"

He nods his head and pushes his bangs back. "Yeah."

"Ok. Take it as a compliment if anything."

"I know." He says with a smile and hugs me close. As he does so, I feel some of the panic bleed from his body, and I relax into his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote this before Continental Airlines was bought by United. Since I was getting ready for Y-Con when I originally posted it :-)


	16. Possible Fact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of marijuana use.  
> There is a slight overlap with the previous chapter, for transitioning purposes.

(Trowa's POV)

"Hey Trowa, you don't happen to have a brother named Tristan do you?"

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. What the fuck? I tense up, and I know that Quatre feels it too, which causes me to tense more.

"Ah." I hesitate, trying to figure out how I should answer her. "No. I'm an only child."

"Weird." She replies thoughtfully as if she's searching through her memory. "You really remind me of Quatre's first boyfriend, Tristan. You guys even have the same last name."

I frown, playing dumb. "Is that a bad thing?"

Hilde continues. "Hell no, Tristan was awesome…" Thankfully, Noin comes to my rescue by kissing her girlfriend soundly.

"Sometimes you are the most oblivious person in the world love," she murmurs into Hilde's ear, and I look at everyone else in the room and they are glancing between Hilde and myself. All of the sudden this grand room feels very, very small, and I want nothing more than to get the hell out of here.

Quatre turns around in my arms and looks at me with his stunning turquoise eyes and asks, "You ok?"

I nod with a sigh and push my bangs out of my face since that was the exact opposite thing I wanted to do, preferring to find some corner to go hide in. "Yeah."

"Ok. Take it as a compliment if anything," he says sincerely, and I know he's trying to make me feel better for something he's not quite sure is wrong.

"I know," I say and pull him close to me in a tight hug, and I feel my stress level reduce exponentially. Though, in the back of my mind I know someone in the group picked up on my lack of mentioning anything about names. God, the last thing I want is people asking questions as to why I go by Trowa and not Tristan.

The group resumes their game and I remain comfortably seated with my back against the love seat and Quatre in my arms. I go back to nuzzling his neck and gracing it with little kisses, which, at the moment, tames the sense of foreboding in the back of my mind. Heero keeps glancing my way during Quatre's turns, when he is sure my boyfriend is concentrating on the board and not on everyone else in the room.

I can't figure Heero out, and it bothers me a bit, but he's acting as if he knows something, and I'm not sure if he's a good enough actor to put on a show of knowing when he really doesn't know a thing.

My attention is taken away from my musings about Heero and back to the game as Hilde hisses something about Duo being a stupid fag and taking all her money. Hilde's out of the game. Zechs is the next out when he lands on a fully loaded Palace and can't pay Noin the rent she is owed. The game ends fairly quickly from there. Duo is out next because he couldn't keep his property due to taking loans out on all of them. Heero next because he didn't have the amount of properties everyone else had because Duo kept sending him to jail. Quatre is next because he wasn't lucky enough to grab all the properties that Duo had to give back to the bank.

It became a death match between Noin and Wufei and while they battle it out, full drinks start to appear in everyone's hands. I guess monopoly is signaling the true beginning of the night because now I can smell the alcohol in the drinks. Wufei ends up winning with a triumphant cry and a gloating smile at Noin, who looks ready to kill him.

"Don't think that I won't hurt you because you are dating my best friend and ex. I shall take extreme delight in seeing you cry for mercy." She smirks and blows him a taunting kiss before downing the rest of her drink in one gulp.

"Hey Q-ball we're playing Jenga." Duo says getting to his feet.

"I'm not drunk enough to play Jenga well." Quatre whines cutely, and I can't help but smile

"My party, you're playing with me." Quatre turns around and looks at me, his entrancing eyes begging for me to help him out of having to play Jenga.

"I'll get you something to drink. What do you want?" I wiggle out from between him and the couch and wait for him to tell me.

With a defeated sigh he says, "gin and tonic." He then turns around to clean up Monopoly so Duo has a place to put the tower of blocks down.

I walk over to the bar and mix up a neat Gin and Tonic and a Screw Driver for myself. I give the drink to Quatre, who already seems to be lost in the simple game, and I hear Heero laughing. "We've lost them for a while." He nods his head to come closer. "You smoke?"

"Yeah, haven't in a while, but I do." I answer, a bit confused as to why Heero is asking me to smoke up with him.

"Good. Come on." He stops by the bar, goes around the back, and produces a baggie, a lighter and a plain glass pipe. He leads the way through the kitchen and out the door Quatre and I had come in. "I got to get something out of the car, hold on a moment?" I stay where I am and watch him. Not for the first time, I wonder where Quatre found all these beautiful people. I feel like I'm the dregs compared to Duo and Zechs. God, I can only imagine what Duo looks like with his hair down, though I'm not sure how big I am on the piercings and tattoos, or is it all one big tattoo? Hum, not that it matters.

Quatre is simply a wet dream come true. Fuck, I get hard just thinking about him. I am pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a car door closing, and I look blankly at Heero as he walks towards me with a manila envelop in his hand. I give him a questioning look, and he smiles and leads me towards a gazebo in the middle of the elegant circular drive way. "In a moment," he assured me and took a seat on a cushion on the floor the gazebo.

Heero motions for me to sit down next to him and skillfully pack a bowl. When he's done, he offers it to me first. I accept it and take a take a hit. I feel his intense gaze on me, and I hand the bowl back. He positions the pipe to his lips and before he takes his hit he smirks and looks at me. "You're name is really Tristan, isn't it?" He asks as if he already knows the answer and inhales deeply.

I pause longer than I really want to and grimace, resigning myself to telling the truth. "Yes."

He exhales, passes me the bowl and slides the envelope to me. "Then this is yours." I take the bowl and carefully put it down in front of me so as to not spill its contents, but I have a feeling losing a bowl's worth of pot wasn't really going to put Zechs out. By the looks of the bag that Heero packed from, it doesn't seem to be a rare commodity.

"What is it?" I ask as I pick up the deceptively heavy folder.

"Take another hit and pass it back. Then I'll tell you." I do as he says, and on the second drag, I realize this is pretty good stuff.

"It is from Zech's personal stock." Heero begins, as if answering my unspoken realization. "He hired a botanist with a PhD and a research specialization in marijuana. The chic gets paid an insane amount to grow pot for the royal family. Not a bad gig really."

"You couldn't be all that picky in America, or at least, I couldn't be. I took what I could get. Sometimes it was shit and sometimes it wasn't." I smirk and hand the bowl back to Heero. "So what is this?" I pick the folder back up.

"It is a dossier on Quatre's first boyfriend, Tristan." He says and takes another drag.

"Why give it to me?"

"Because I was an idiot." He pauses and I look at him intensely, waiting for more. "I mentioned that Quatre wanted a relationship like the one he had with Tristan and not some quick fuck on the side. And I further put my foot in my mouth when I unwisely made the observation that you reminded me of Tristan."

"I do?" I take the offered pipe back and take a hit.

"Yes. You have a similar demeanor, and you're the only boyfriend since Tristan to treat Quatre as a real person and not some conquest. And you look at him like Tristan did. Same eye color too."

I feel a shiver travel down my spine despite the hot, dry, windless day. This isn't turning out good at all. "So why give it to me?" I ask, going back to the original question that Heero didn't really answer and hand him back the pipe. "Why not give it to Quatre?"

"Because if Quatre's Tristan is really you, you should be the one to talk to him about it. It would be worse if he read through it and found out you were him." He takes a long hit and exhales a few seconds later. It bothers me a bit that he's not being extremely forthright with information that seems to concern me. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt Trowa." He eyes me sharply. "No one knows that I have the folder. I had it sent to Sally's office, but she doesn't even know what the envelope contained."

My brow furls. "So what happens if that Tristan and this Tristan." I point to the envelope and then to my chest. "Turn out to be the same person?"

Heero takes another drag before passing it back. "Then you better have a damn good reason for pretending you don't know any of us." We lock eyes, and I feel the shiver go down my spine again. "Duo threatened you with me." I nod. "And rightly so. I beat the ever living shit out of his last three boyfriends."

"Why?" That was probably the stupidest question I could have asked, but it's too late to take it back.

"Because they used him and lied to him. All three of them mentally abused him, and the last one more or less physically did. I sent him to the hospital." He pauses and chuckles. "Well, I had to go to. He turned out to be better at fighting than I figured, and he broke three of my ribs." His mood changes again, and he looks me dead in the eyes once more. "If Quatre ends up in my house, broken like that because of you, you will end up in the hospital. Duo and I love him too much to see that happen again."

"Threatening?" Again, that was a stupid thing to say.

"Promising."

I nod and take a hit. "Heero, I can't promise that he won't show up at your door upset." I hand back the pipe. "Like Duo did to Quatre two weeks ago."

"That's different Trowa." He takes a long drag. "I'm not talking about stupid fights and misunderstandings." He passes the bowl back. "It is almost done." I nod and he continues. "I'm talking about genuinely hurting him. Misunderstandings happen all the time because we all interpret things differently. Like Duo took my trying to be sneaky while I worked on a proposal and a wedding as I'm cheating on him. I equate the idea of cheating on Duo with the idea of cutting off my appendages. Which I would never, ever do." He pauses for a moment and lifts a small grate up off the floor of the gazebo and puts it to the side.

"Quatre can be overly sensitive, which means that sometimes he blows things out of proportion. So I'm not going to worry about shit like that. I'm talking about really hurting him. Like, if you've been lying to him about that." He motions with his head to the folder. "And you don't have a really damn good reason for doing so. Then I would count that as hurting him."

I take a deep breath, the pipe still in my hand, and answer. "Heero, I swear to you, on my life, that if that turns out to be me, I never intentionally lied to any of you." God, please don't have Heero push this any further. He narrows his eyes and looks me over. "Let me read over it, and we can go from there."

His eyes return to normal, as I cannot see any signs of him being stoned in them, and he nods. "Fair enough." Heero motions for me to take my turn. "If you want to talk about anything before talking to Quatre about things then feel free to drop by. Give us a call first."

I nod, take my turn and hand the pipe back to Heero who proceed to knock the charred contents into the hole and pack a new one. I let my mind wander while he does. I can't say I'm thrilled about the situation I have found myself in, but at the same time, I can't walk away from Quatre. God, I have never felt so close to anyone in my life, except for maybe Kat, but even then…

I run my hands through my hair, and Heero chuckles. "Chill Trowa. You're not in any danger of getting your ass kicked yet. So relax and enjoy. The fun hasn't even begun yet. Wait 'til Wufei gets going. He's probably the most amusing person here."

I breathe a breath of relief at the topic change and look at Heero skeptically. "Duo and Quatre I can see, but Wufei?"

"I know, odd isn't it?" He lights the contents of the bowl and inhales. "Wufei was raised by very strict and traditional parents. He was married by the age of fifteen to a woman four years his junior. He tends to have problems reconciling his traditional upbringing and how he's chosen to live his life. He actually was something akin to royalty in his province, but was demoted when he refused another arranged marriage due to the fact that he's with Zechs. From what I've heard, the only reason he hasn't been disowned is because his lover is the crown prince of Sanq."

He hands the pipe to me, and I cannot help but smile. Wufei just became a far more interesting person.

"So, when he smokes and has a few drinks, the walls that he keeps in place for appearance sake disappear. Duo and Zechs are constantly poking at those walls. You've been witness to a few of them actually."

I give him the 'go on' nod and take my turn with the pipe. "Duo will bait Wufei and then Zechs will whisper something in Wufei's ear, which gets him all flustered, and he usually says something loudly to defend himself."

"What does Zechs say to him? He's had a rather explosive reaction the few times I've witnessed it, which completely goes against the image he shows."

Heero shakes his head with a laugh. "From what I have heard, Zechs and Wufei have a very healthy love life. On par with Duo and mine's. And supposedly, the sex is incredible. So Duo tends to bait Wufei with things he _knows_ has actually happened, that Wu has pretended to forget about because it doesn't fit in with the image. And the moment Wufei denies it, Zechs whispers a reminder of the event."

I start laughing so hard that tears start forming in my eyes and Heero continues. "For example, on the day that you met Quatre, Duo and I were making out on the couch in our LGBTQ+ office. Wufei mentioned something about the integrity and purity of the couch and makes a point to bring it to Zechs' attention. And from my vantage point beneath Duo…" He gives me a mischievous grin. "I could see Zechs saying something to him. I do know that Sally caught them on the tail end of making sure the couch became thoroughly impure, so more than likely, Zechs was replaying some of the highlights of that particular event."

"That's funny." I hand him back the bowl, and he takes it.

"Yeah." He takes a moment to smoke. "You might want to put that somewhere other than here. I'm not one for hiding things from my friends." I give him the 'uh-huh' look and he flips me off and continues speaking. "The proposal was different. But this is something you need to work through with Quatre. They don't need to meddle in that. If you want to put it in your bag without going through the living room, then all you have to do is go through the other door in the kitchen. Then turn right, go up the stairs, turn left down the hallway, and the third door on your right is your room. First one belongs to his majesty, second one is mine and Duo's and the next is the one you're going to share with Quatre."

I nod and stand slowly, taking a moment to stretch out from sitting so long. "I'll be right back."

"Trowa, you can do whatever. I won't be offended if you went back to being cute with Quatre, but if you want to come back that's fine too." Heero offers me a stupid grin, and for the first time, I can see a hint of the marijuana's effect on him.

"Thanks." I walk back to the kitchen and make my way upstairs. I hear sounds of cheering from the living room as I pass the archway and find myself smiling, but as soon as the smile caresses my lips, an intense sense of foreboding consumes me. Heero knows that I am Tristan Barton. I can't tell if he actually knows I am Quatre's Tristan… hell I don't even know if I am Quatre's Tristan. This is all completely fucked up.

I walk up the stairs and past the doors I was told to and stop in front of the one Heero said I was sharing with Quatre, and I see our bags on the bed. I quietly rearrange a few things in my bag and put the envelope in a now empty pocket. I'll look at that later because I know I'm not up for any deep revelations about my life tonight. I've been so blissfully ignorant, relatively, for the last five years that I'm in no mood to go finding out any life changing information.

Once the envelope is secure in my bag, I leave the room and venture down the long elegant hallway. Two doors down from the room I am sharing with Quatre, on the opposite side of the hallway I see Treize and Lady laying on a king size bed with their little girls between them. All four of them appear to be asleep, so I watch them for a moment longer, noting how beautiful they both are and how beautiful their children are.

There is a slight pang in my chest as I realize that living a gay lifestyle will probably mean that I'll never have flesh and blood children. I've got to decide if a satisfying sex life and a loving partner is more important than having children genetically linked to me. Hell, I've got to start actually having sex. Which I really want to do, but from what Heero just told me, I guess it has been a good thing that I've been letting Quatre decide the pace. I think I'm ready for sex, I just need Quatre to be ready.

A soft moan escapes my lips at the thought, and I quickly and silently bolt down the hallway towards the stairs and down to the kitchen. Once I am safely downstairs, I grin like a fucking fool as our morning shower plays over in my mind. I do not realize there are no sounds coming from the living room until I walk outside and see the party contingent out in the gazebo. I hadn't realized I had been upstairs that long. Maybe my sense of time has been shot to hell because I've been smoking and I haven't done it in over a year.

As I near the gazebo, I can smell the almost over-powering smell of pot and I can not help but laugh. This is going to be a fun night. I resolve to worry about the Tristan situation later, when we are not celebrating, and enjoy my time.

There is a rumble of gravel behind me, and as I turn my head, I see Sally parking her SUV next to Quatre's. She gets out of the car and pulls a bag out behind her. She and Brad both look like they've just gotten off duty.

"We'll be right back guys, we're going to go freshen up." Sally waves to the lot of us and Duo bounces into view grinning like a maniac.

"Freshen up. Sure Sal." Duo says skeptically.

Sally laughs. "How gone are you Duo?"

Duo shakes his head. "Not too much. We just started smoking."

"Bullshit Maxwell. I bet you started last night." She replies with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, but we didn't have that much." He draws out 'that' turns and looks between Quatre and I. "I bet you guys didn't even catch on that your running buddies had been smoking all night. You were totally ogling each other all morning. Hell, I thought you were going to start fucking before we finished our run."

With that, Heero stands up quickly and wraps one hand around Duo's mouth and the other around his waist. "Duo." Heero growls sternly and then yelps quietly while pulling the hand over Duo's mouth away quickly.

Duo turns on Heero with a predatory gleam in his eyes and tackles him, both of them landing on the soft grass outside the Gazebo. I watch for a moment longer as they begin to claw at each others clothes and decide that being in the gazebo with everyone else is safer than being outside of it while the soon-to-be married couple ravage each other.

As I make my way to where Quatre is, I make note that there are five pipes actively being used as well as several bottles of different flavors of soda and several bottles of rum and vodka. Quatre is sitting with one pipe, Noin and Hilde are sharing one, Wufei has one, and so does Zechs. I never in my life would have pegged Wufei as pot head, but he definitely does seem to know what he is doing.

I walk over to Quatre and sit down beside him. "You ok?" He asks with a furled brow.

"Yup. Bathroom." He nods in understanding and hands me the pipe.

The night proceeds and we all steadily get more drunk and more high. I'm not sure what time it is, I lose track once the sun sets and my gauge disappears on the horizon. When it becomes too dark to see, we all wander back inside rather than put the outdoor lights on. Duo skips energetically to the place where we had played monopoly earlier and plops down clumsily in the middle of the makeshift circle.

"Come on guys." He starts chuckling as he talks. "We need to play more."

Quatre skips up to him and falls down to his knees so he is now straddling Duo's crossed legs. He wraps his arms around Duo's neck and I watch my boyfriend kiss him and I'm not sure what I should think. Part of me is jealous, but not really. I think. Fuck it, he's mine. Before I can process any more, I hear Quatre cut through the fog of pot and alcohol.

"Come here Trowa." He calls to me with an extended arm while still straddling Duo's lap.

I nod like a fool in love. Love? Maybe I _am_ a fool in love. But I can't think about that right now, I've got to rescue my boyfriend from the evil Duo. I sit down so that when I cross my legs my knees are touching Duo's and slide my arms Quatre's shirt and around his chest. "Mine." I murmur as I pull him towards me.

Quatre giggles and with surprising agility moves so I'm the one whose lap he's straddling. "Only if you're mine, silly." He kisses me deeply, and I get lost in the feelings that his talented lips and tongue are causing in my state.

I'm not sure how long Quatre and I sit in the middle of the room kissing and grinding, but we are brought out of our world by a forceful shove that unseats my boyfriend from my lap. I think I growl at Heero, who is the one guilty of the pushing, but maybe that was just in my head.

"Come on we're going to play a real game." Quatre rights himself and sits next to me on the floor.

Quatre looks around and starts laughing. "Where is everyone?"

I look around too and, from what I can gather, 'everyone' is Wufei and Zechs, who I can't see anywhere. And maybe Brad and Sally who are making cutesy faces at each other by the bar as they refill their drinks. I think.

"Wufei and Zechs are fucking outside in the gazebo, and Sally and Brad are by the bar." Duo announces as he produces a box labeled Apples to Apples. "Oh and I think Dorothy showed up, and I think she and Relena are making up, with Mark of course."

"How do you know that?" Noin asks, and I look at her and then quickly away when I realize she's get her hand underneath Hilde's partially pulled up shirt.

"Eh, between getting disrobed," he grins stupidly at Heero, "and getting into our room a little bit ago, I'm pretty sure I saw her come in the back way and into Relena's room." Everyone nods and promptly forgets about the topic.

Duo set up a game of Apples to Apples, and we all turn our attention to playing. We are even joined by Lady, Treize, and the babies as well as the temporary satiated (I think that is a word) owner of the house and his lover.

The game flies by in haze, and I have a hard time remembering what card is in current play. It ends when we've run out of cards, Treize being the obvious winner followed by a tie between Quatre and Zechs.

"Fuck!" Duo hisses and bounds awkwardly to his feet.

Everyone turns to look at him. Granted, I'm not focusing well, between the alcohol, pot and need for sleep. "What?" We all echo together.

"Time for 'Ro and I to become vampires." He chuckles while pointing at the bay windows and the lightening sky.

"It's morning already." Quatre mumbles and falls slack against my side.

Zechs stands, pulling a passed out Wufei up with him. "Yes. I think we shall be…vampires, as well." He carefully throws Wufei over his shoulder (can you carefully throw someone?) and walks out of the living room towards the stairs. Then, couple by couple, we all proceed up into our rooms.

Quatre and I enter our room and as I close the door, my boyfriend face plants onto the bed. I grumble, close the curtains to block out the evil light, stand very still when I realize I can't see, and when I get to the point where I think I can see, I strip, find Quatre, strip him, and pull him under the covers. He snuggles into my arms and my last fleeting thoughts as I crash are that I hope I haven't completely fucked myself to the point of losing him.

"Night. Love you." Quatre mumbles and kisses my chest.

At his words, my eyes fly open, and I become lucid for another moment. Lucid enough to murmur a reply. "Love you too Quat." I kiss the top of his head, close my eyes, and fall asleep.


	17. Information Gathering

(Trowa PoV Continues)

Around one on Sunday afternoon I literally fall out of bed, which I must say, is an accomplishment since the bed is king sized and I'm a gymnast. I groan and roll, trying to get my feet underneath me. It is dark in the room save for the daylight peaking in around the curtains. From the bed, I can hear snickering, and I know that Quatre is awake and way too cheerful for having been up until dawn.

"Did you just fall out of bed?" He asks between giggles.

I grumble 'yes' and plod the few steps over to the switch that controls the lamp on my side of the bed. The room lights up, and we both blink rapidly trying to adjust to it. Quatre flops back down and puts his forearm over his eyes. "Why'd you just do that?"

"Because I'm starving and need food." I motion to myself all the while keeping my eyes on Quatre's lithe, naked body. "And to get food we need to get dressed. I'm not exactly one for parading around naked."

"Why not?" Quatre gets on his knees and moves over to the end of the bed and grabs my hand. "You're stunning naked. I don't think the other guys would mind." He grins, pulls me close and rests his head on my chest.

"I'd rather leave it to their imaginations." I say, somewhat distractedly, looking for my bag. I think I am still somewhat out of it because nothing quite seems real, I got enough sleep, but I feel incredibly stupid right now, like my brain is overly hazy. Maybe a shower will help. I wander into the bathroom, close the door and use the facilities. As I am about to start the shower, I realize that I forgot my bag in the bedroom and open up the door.

Quatre is standing there, with my bag in hand, very naked, handsome, beautiful, hot, sexy… I could go on. Hopefully, he'll still want to talk to me in a week.

He hands me my bag and walks past me into the bathroom and behind me, sliding his arms slowly around my chest while he presses himself flush with my back. "Need the bathroom?" I ask.

"Nah, got up a bit before you did. Need a shower though." He says quietly.

I let out a soft moan as his hands play across my chest, but I break away from him so I can brush my teeth and go start the shower. In the mirror, I can see Quatre smirking and reaching around me as I move towards the shower. Between vigorous teeth scrubbing, I figure out which facet is hot and which is cold. Sometimes, multitasking early in the morning just doesn't work. I hear Quatre brushing his teeth and by the time I get the water running at a comfortable temperature, he is next to me waiting for the ok.

I put my toothbrush down on the counter and we both get into the large luxurious marble shower stall. We try to keep it innocent, and by trying I mean we manage to behave long enough to get soap on our hands. Between the amazing feeling of slick hands over our bodies and just being guys with healthy libidos, we give up trying to behave and jerk each other off. We're not exactly gentle about it either. Rough and needy, I'm pretty sure that if we were having sex, one of us would be crushed up against one of the walls getting our brains fucked out. But we're not, so we're settling for another option that yields similar results.

After our wash and romp, we behave long enough to get dressed and pack our things back up. My stomach growls loud enough to be embarrassing and Quatre laughs, grabs me by the hand and starts leading me out of the room. "Come on, we'll finish packing in a bit, food time."

Downstairs, in the kitchen, we find everyone, save for Relena and her entourage, nursing cups of coffee and generally looking like they had been up all night partying. The couples all seem too wrapped up in each other and their coffee to take notice of our arrival. Not that I mind, really. It is nice to be surrounded by people who honestly care for each other. Even Sally and Brad, who seem to be as new in their relationship as Quatre and myself, appear to have genuine feelings for each other.

The established couples amaze me. It is fairly clear, even for a dense asshole like me, to see that each partner looks upon their other as the most important thing in the world. And that is exactly the thing I am desperately trying to avoid now, since I am uncertain if my relationship with Quatre is going to last much longer. I don't want him to become the center of my world and then have my heart completely ripped out when everything falls apart. But, God, I hope it does work out. I look at him, and I feel so safe and comfortable around him, I would give so much to hold onto that.

We chit chat with everyone a bit, but we're all somewhere between sleep and waking, that none of us, even Duo, are very good conversationalists. Eventually, we all head home so we can get ready for Monday and our return to the 'real' world. I spend the rest of the day with Quatre, and though I want to spend time with him, I also want some free time so I can go over the contents of the folder Heero gave me. It is gnawing at me, and I keep looking at the bag expecting the folder to burn a hole through the canvas bag like the Ark did to the crate in _Raiders of the Lost Ark._

At nine pm, eight measly hours after we woke up, we are back in bed and fast asleep.

When the alarm sounds at ten to six, I bolt upright and Quatre grumbles and turns over trying his best to ignore the persistent ringing. I climb over him and snag his phone from the nightstand and shut the alarm off. "Come on Quatre. Time to run."

"Don't wanna. Come back to bed." He holds out his arms to me and I take one of his hands and pull him out of bed.

"Nope, we're going running. We had off yesterday." He mumbles something incoherent and runs his hand through his mop of golden hair.

"I need clothes." Quatre actually manages to vocalize and the vision of Quatre running our circuit in nothing but running shoes causes me to blush fiercely. As quickly as possible, I push the thought from my mind and turn the lights on. My boyfriend growls and flops face first onto the bed. I sigh, pull out his running clothes and throw them at him.

"Get dressed." I give his perfect ass a light slap, he gives me a death stare as he turns over and begrudgingly starts to get dressed as I pull my shorts on.

We meet up with the rest of the guys outside and go for our run. There isn't much in the way of conversation as I think everyone is still trying to get over having partied until the sun rose in the sky Sunday. Though, I will admit it is funny to see Zechs flanked by Heero and Duo to talk about the wedding, causing Wufei to run a bit ahead by himself. He looks sour for the entire run and keeps looking over his shoulder to see if he can take his place next to his boyfriend again. It is actually kind of cute, in a overly possessive sort of way.

Once back from our run, we get ready for the day and head off to class. Quatre informs me that he won't be back until late, as he has a meeting to attend to between his last class and marching band rehearsal. I am sad that I won't see him until later, but at the same time I count it as a small blessing, since it will allow me to sit down with the folder and look over all the contents.

As my professor dismisses my last class, I bolt out of the room and run to my apartment. I had made sure to put my bag back in my room yesterday so that I could keep it hidden from Quatre. Not that I really want to ever keep anything hidden from him, but if my gut is correct, I don't want him seeing the folder and its contents just yet.

Once secure in my haven, I remove the envelope Heero had given me from my bag and take a seat on my bed. I stare at it for some time and the more I stare at it, the more I find myself shaking. With a deep breath, I take out the oak tag folder and place it in front of me. Before I toss the envelope aside, I notice there is still something in there and shake out the rest of the contents. Several pictures fall out on top of the folder.

With shaking hands, I pick up the pictures and look through them. They are all of Tristan at a different ages, all carefully labeled on the back. I look through them all, noting everything about them that I can. They look like the pictures my parents have around the house. I bite at my lower lip, not liking what the photos are leading towards. There are also a few pictures of Tristan and Quatre. God, he was stunning then too.

Placing the pictures on top of the empty envelope, I open the folder and my shaking increases exponentially. The first page is simple: Name, age, current known location and picture.

Name: Tristan Alexander Barton  
Birthday: September 16, AC 180  
Current Known Location: Sanc University  
Peacemillion Building  
Apartment 224

The accompanying picture is the same on my student ID. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! FUCK! I can't fucking be Quatre's first boyfriend. It is not fucking possible. I bolt off my bed, flip through my binder of music and pull out _Mutter_. Angry, harsh Germans will hopefully help this situation. I dig out my portable CD player and speakers and put everything together, then jack the music up to a mind numbing volume when the disc starts to play.

I sit back down and go through the file some more. Everything is in here. Including my parents' names, their birthdays, the address for our house in Massachusetts. The file goes over my accident and the trip to University Medical Hospital for a doctor that specialized in head trauma. It also mentioned the reconstructive surgery I had right after the accident. The file even displayed my Sanc identification number, and a copy of my birth certificate. Every single fucking piece of information points to me. There is nothing in here that I could disagree with. FUCK!

I feel my heart begin to race, and I need to move. I need to be free, so I shut off my player, change into a pair of tumbling shorts and a tight sleeveless tee and grab my tunes and head outside to the large grassy area in back of the apartments. I place the player and speakers down and survey the ground, making sure there aren't any dangerous divots. I turn the music back on and sit down to stretch.

When I finish loosing up, I start the music from the first track and begin moving, clearing my mind of everything but flying. I start off with simple moves. Some cartwheels, round offs and somersaults, letting my body limber up some before I begin some of the more complex moves.

I let the anger and every other emotion I have coursing through my body add power to my moves. When I begin tumbling in earnest, all thoughts leave my head except for where to put my hands and feet and how far the ground is before I land.

I tumble back and forth over the green until I miss a landing on, thankfully, a simple back handspring. Picking myself up from my face plant into the thick grass, I hear cheers and applause coming from all around me. It appears I have gathered an audience while I was off in my own world. Close to thirty people appear to be watching me, and I quickly gather all my things up and retreat to my apartment, managing to say as little to those who are watching me as possible.

Once in my apartment, I throw the player and speakers on the futon and fall down to the floor, breathing more heavily than usual due to the physical exertions in the early September heat. I fall to the floor with considerably less grace than I just had outside and begin to stretch out my already protesting muscles.

As I stretch out, I remember the offer Heero had given me on Saturday when we talked, and I realize that I do need to talk to someone. And since I don't have any friends here save for the ones who are also friends with Quatre, I swallow my pride and call Duo's number, as I do not have Heero's yet.

"Hello Trowa."

"Heero?"

"Yes, Duo's in the shower." There is a moment of uncomfortable silence and before I can say anything Heero continues. "I was just in the middle of making dinner. You are more than welcome to join us."

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be. I always make too much." He pauses again. "Do you know how to get here?"

"No."

Heero proceeds to give me directions to their house, and I tell him I'll be over after I change. Their house is maybe a five minute drive from campus, and I realize that I could have walked there in about the same time it took me get my car and drive over there.

I know I have arrived when I see Heero and Duo's cars parked in the driveway. I pull in behind Duo's car and get out, taking a long look around. The house is newer, by Sanc standards, which means it is probably about one hundred years old, but it appears to have been overhauled quite a bit. It is a quaint two story house that appears to have at least an acre of land. From the front it looks to be completely brick and there is a large front porch.

As I approach, the front door opens and Heero waits for me to enter. "Found it without any problems?"

I nod as I walk into the house and Heero closes the door behind me. The air conditioning hits my skin and I close my eyes happily. "I could have walked here about as fast as it took to drive."

Heero laughs. "You could have, but it is fucking hot out and that makes the walk much longer." He leads me into the kitchen, and on the table there are three place settings as well as a large bowl of salad and something that looks like Mexican food. "You like chicken?" I nod. "Mexican?" I nod again. "Good, we're having chicken enchiladas." He says with a smile and walks past me to the base of the stairs. "Dinner's ready."

"Be right down." Duo hollers back and Heero nods to no one in particular and walks back into the kitchen.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge. I'm not sure what you want to drink. The ice tea in there is unsweetened.

Nodding, I take the offered glass from Heero and open the fridge door. There are several pitchers of drinks and I grab the one that looks like ice tea. "Ice tea?" I hold up the pitcher to Heero, he nods and I pour myself a glass. "You read it didn't you?" I say quietly.

"Yes." Heero nods as if it were nothing. "We'll talk about that specifically after dinner."

"God 'Ro that smells good." Duo praises as he walks to Heero and wraps his arms around him from behind. "Hey Trowa, glad you could join us. Sometimes its fun to have company." Duo kisses his partner soundly and then turns to me. "We've just got to behave a bit more."

"Sit down you two, time to eat." I wait for Duo and Heero to claim their places and sit down in the remaining one while Heero doles out the food. We eat in relative silence, since we all appear to be on par with starving. I for one hadn't realized I was as hungry as I am until I start eating.

As Duo finishes his enchiladas, he begins to pile salad on his plate the conversation begins anew. "So Trowa, what brings you here tonight without Q-ball?"

Before I can say anything, Heero cuts in and answers, and not in any language that I know. So my guess is that it is Japanese. I watch the exchange between partners and Duo's face morphs several times as they speak I hear my names mentioned as well as Quatre's, and I wait patiently for their conversation to end.

Suddenly, but not angrily, Duo pushes away from the table, quickly dumps some salad dressing onto his plate and politely excuses himself. Heero sighs heavily. "I'm sorry, that was really rude."

"That didn't get you in trouble with your husband to be, did it?" I ask a bit concerned, since I saw what happened last time Heero withheld information from Duo.

Heero chuckles softly. "No. I promised him a full report after you left as long as he didn't mention a single word to Quatre, as that would be your job. Not his." He takes a moment to load his plate up with salad. "So?"

So? God, I hope this conversation goes well. I take a deep breath and begin. "So, I think that there is a ninety-nine point nine percent chance that the person in the folder is me."

"What about the point one percent?" Heero asks calmly between bites of his salad.

"Well that's the problem." I take another deep breath. "I don't remember." He raises his eye brow, but doesn't say anything, so I continue. "The accident mentioned in the report and overview write up left out one crucial bit of information. That being, I don't have any solid memories from before I woke up in Massachusetts. I remember things like the names of my family, how to speak and school stuff, but past that I'm practically a blank slate." I run my hands through my hair in frustration. "I can't tell you the names of any of my friends in school, nor could I tell you where I lived or what town I was born in. There is nothing."

"You haven't shared any of this with Quatre?" Heero asks, appearing completely calm, as if none of this was surprising to him at all.

"No. I don't know how to talk to him about it."

"So how do you plan on getting one hundred percent accuracy with this?"

"I haven't a fucking clue…." Maybe I do have a fucking clue.

Heero chuckles. "I'm pretty sure you do."

"My parents and Quatre need to meet. My parents can't know he's coming with me, and Quatre can't know that I'm probably his Tristan."

Heero frowns. "That's a bit underhanded, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I can't think of another way to get the most genuine reaction from either one of them. They're the three people that can answer the questions that I can't answer."

The frown remains on Heero's lips. "Trowa, you're playing with fire."

I sigh. "I know." I run my hands through my hair again. "God Heero, the last thing I want to do is make him unhappy. But I don't think either of us will be happy unless we both know for certain, because I think part of him is still looking for Tristan. 'What-ifs' don't build solid relationships and the only way to make sure that Tristan's path actually leads to me is to close the loop and have the people that don't have memory issues meet each other."

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree with you. I don't like the idea of tricking Quatre, but at the same time, I understand what you mean by getting a genuine reaction. When are you thinking about going ahead with having the three meet?"

"I think the sooner the better. I'd like to move past this as soon as possible, and I'm sure he does as well, whether he realizes that there is something to get over or not."

"Agreed. Mention it to Quatre tonight. Oh, and don't try to be the 'man' and suggest buying tickets. He's leaving Sanc so his guard will be with him. Unless all the Winner jets are occupied, you'll be flying in style along with a handful of elite bodyguards."

I pale at the mention of elite body guards. I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with that side of Quatre yet, but it seems that I will have to. "I forget that he's the heir to the richest family in the world."

Heero chuckles. "Believe it or not Trowa. That is a very, _very_ , good thing. Most people have a hard time not forgetting, which is why, up until you, he's ended up with shit heads." He stands and starts to collect the dirty dishes. "So what are you going to tell him to get him to go across the pond?"

Good question. I let the thoughts race through my mind and almost everything sounds highly suspicious save for, "I want to introduce him to my parents."

"And when he makes a point that they don't know that you're a fag?" Heero asks with a devilish smirk as he starts to load the dishwasher.

"I'll ask for his support. I think that no matter what, I'll need that."

"How do you think you're parents are going to take it?" He inquires, looking over his shoulder at me.

"Horribly. Seeing as, if I am really Tristan, I've never fucked a woman prior to losing my memory and my parents say that I have."

Heero makes a face that looks to be contorted in pain. "Ouch. You're definitely going to need someone there with you if that is the case."

"I have a bad feeling about this." I bury my hands in my hair and rest my elbows on my thighs.

"Trowa, all you can do is go into it with a positive attitude and don't let anyone try to tell you that you feel something that you really don't."

"I know." I mumble into my lap and then look up quickly. "How did it go for you?"

"What go for me?"

"Outing yourself."

Heero laughs heartily this time. "My father found out when he came home a few days early to the sight of Duo and I have sex on his living room floor. Duo told the heads of the orphanage when he moved in with me after my father died. Supposedly, Quatre told his father right after he and Tristan started dating. Duo found out by walking into the off limits boys locker room at his eighth grade dance. Says he found Quatre and Tristan making out in the back, by the showers." He gives me a cheeky grin. "Chang and Zechs just one day became an item, no real announcement, though Quatre knew since the beginning. None of us know whether or not Tristan ever told his parents. So I don't know how that might affect you."

I let out a long slow breath. "So, for the most part no one really had to find a way to verbally come out."

"More or less." He shrugs and sits back down. "If you decide to do it this weekend, let me know and I'll have Wufei on standby for Quatre if things do not go in your favor, which I hope they do."

"Why is he going to call Wufei?"

"Because, despite how Wufei acts most of the time. He's been through a lot of shit in his life and has all of that Chinese wisdom handy. That, and Quatre ended up being his confidant in the early stages of his relationship with Zechs because he felt uncomfortable talking to Duo and I because we were already together. If you decide to go after we get back, then he'll call Duo first."

"I'm thinking maybe we should head to the airport when you and Duo do. We'll get out there in the morning. I'll talk with my parents, and then we fly home in the early evening. I don't have much faith that the conversation it going to be a good or long one."

He nods. "Let me know when it is definite and then I'll let Wufei know what is going on in case Quatre does call.

I nod again and give Heero a weak, but gracious smile. "Thanks."

Heero smiles gently and sits back down. "You're a good guy Trowa, and I hope this all goes well for you, and for Quatre. But if all hell breaks lose, just go with the flow. If you two are meant to be together, then everything will work out. If you aren't, then this will probably be the event that decides it." He chuckles. "But, by the file, you are Tristan, which makes me believe that the invisible red string between you and Quatre has never been broken. Just remember that before all of this you found each other…again, without knowing it." Heero pauses for a moment. "The only really shitty thing is that if it doesn't work out, we're all loyal to Quatre first. I'm not going to beat the ever living shit out of you for this, but none of us are going to be able to support you through it. So I hope that there will be no reason to shun our new or old friend."

I nod, knowing Heero's right. "I pray that the choice never has to be made." I say solemnly and stand. "I should get back…" I look at my phone quickly for the time. "… Quatre should be getting back soon."

Heero nods. "Tell him I invited you over for dinner since I knew he had practice tonight. No need to lie about where you were." With a brief nod of understanding, I walk towards the door. "And Trowa." I glance over my shoulder at him. "Let me know how it goes." Heero offers me a genuine smile and walks past me to the door to let me out.

I offer a 'goodbye Duo' from the door and after a similar reply I leave, but not before Heero offers me another reassuring smile. As I climb into my car, I muse on Quatre's friends, who were more than likely my friends from a life I can't remember. In unguarded moments Heero is a stunning man, with a smile that could easily make you fall head over heels in love with him. He hides behind a fierce scowl and prickly aura, but after speaking with him when all walls were down, I think I understand a bit of what Duo loves about the quiet, stoic Japanese man.

My thoughts drift from Heero to Heero and Duo and their relationship. Thinking about it for a mere moment sends an ache through my chest, and I suddenly _need_ to see Quatre. To see his smile. To feel his lips against mine and our bodies pressed close. I want to have as much Quatre as I possibly can before I might lose him. I'll ask him tonight if he'll join me on my fool's quest to out myself to my parents. God, I hope he'll go along with heading to the airport after the reception. My heart and head feel like they are going to explode if this mystery isn't solved soon and the secret is revealed.

As I set my car in park, I finally realize that I am back home and pushing my distressed thoughts to the back of my mind, I shut my car off and head upstairs. I try Quatre's door to see if it is unlocked and it swings open with ease. I peek inside, looking for him and I see his things, but I don't see him.

"Hey, you going to stand there letting the AC out, or are you going to come inside?" My eyes dart around looking for the source of the voice and I see a bodiless hand wave from the couch. He must be lying down.

"I think I'll come in." After shutting and locking the door, I lean over the back of the couch to kiss Quatre, only to be kissed first. He practically grabs either side of my face and pulls me to him, lips meeting halfway in an electrifying, arousing kiss.

Quatre wastes no time making it clear what he wants right then and hell if my body didn't agree with him. "I want to brush my teeth." I murmur.

"I like Mexican," was the only response my boyfriend utters before occupying his perfect mouth with something extremely enjoyable. Vaguely, I am aware of Quatre pushing the coffee table away from the couch with his foot, but I'm far more interested in what his hand is doing down my shorts.

Then the hand leaves, followed by the lithe body beneath me and I whimper in protest until I see Quatre has slid to the empty space on the floor. I have absolutely no clue what the hell he's up too, but I shrug and slide off the couch as well.

I lose count of how many times I come after the fourth orgasm. I cannot even tell you how long we have been on the floor writhing in pleasure. I do know though, that the carpet needs to be steam cleaned and we smell. Without saying anything, Quatre pulls me to the shower for a quick rinse. Getting up proves to be a challenge. I was fine on the floor, but my legs feel boneless and don't seem to want to move any more. Quatre tugs a bit harder with a maniacal little chuckle, and I begrudgingly get up and follow him to the shower.

It does feel wonderful though, the water streaming over our sticky, smelly, tired bodies. We wash each other clean, kissing the entire time, and get out to dry off. As we do so, I let my eyes wander over his perfect body. Is it possible for anyone to be put together that perfectly?

"What?" I register Quatre inquiring after a moment.

"Just enjoying the view."

He smirks and his eyes caress my body. "You are not the only one." He licks his perfect, reddened lips and his eyes gleam with a hunger.

"So where did you have Mexican?" Quatre changes the mood as he hangs his towel up.

"Heero invited me over, knowing you had practice tonight. So I had dinner with him and Duo."

My boyfriend spins quickly looking somewhat upset. "I am so jealous. I love Heero's cooking. What did he make?"

"Chicken enchiladas."

"Fuck!" Quatre mock storms out of the bathroom to his bedroom, trying desperately trying to hide a large smile.

"So what was that for?" I ask, following him.

"What was what for?" He turns, his turquoise eyes glowing with false innocence.

"The ambush."

"Oh that." He blushes practically everywhere. "I could stop thinking about you all day and by the time I got home, the only thing I could think about was getting you naked and doing naughty things to you." He pauses and flashes me a mischievous smile. "You didn't seem to mind."

I walk up to him and wrap my arms him, pulling our naked bodies together. "Not at all." Our lips meet together in another fierce kiss and my mind wanders to when I should ask him about going to the states with me when he pulls away.

"What's wrong?" His brow is furls in concern.

"You amaze me."

The furl doesn't disappear. "Why?"

"Because you picked up on that so quickly."

"So what is wrong?" He urges.

"I want to go to the states to see my parents." I stop at that.

"There is more to it, don't be stubborn." Quatre gives me a reassuring squeeze.

"I want to come out to them." I mentally cringe at the thought.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

 _Oh god, please, yes. I can't do this without you there._ That is what I want to tell him, but I do not. "I would like it, if you could, but if you can't that's ok too."

"When do you want to go?"

"The sooner the better?" Quatre raises a questioning brow. "Maybe go to the airport after the reception?" God, I sound desperate.

"Oh, that's not that bad. I thought you were talking about tomorrow." He says with a smile. "That shouldn't be that hard to do." Quatre starts looking around and strays out of the bedroom and into the living room. Moments later, he proudly holds up his cell phone and makes a phone call to Rashid.

After a quick exchange, Quatre hangs up the phone and walks back to me. "All set. We'll fly out on my jet, along with Rashid and four of his top men. We'll arrive there in the evening so we'll have to stay over night and then in the morning we can go visit them."

Butterflies dance in my stomach as he gives my insane plan the thumbs up. "You sure you're okay with this? Especially with it being with almost no notice?" My voice sounds almost distant as I ask him, and he simply smiles and wraps his arms around my waist.

"I remember making the decision to tell my father, and I couldn't wait either. So I understand the 'now' bit. I also dragged Tristan along with me for moral support. Because as much as I wanted and needed to tell my father, I needed the extra support to do so." His plants a row of airy kisses on my neck, and ends with a nip on my shoulder. "So I have no issues what so ever."

"God, I'm so lucky." I say in a hushed whisper and pull him into a deep hug.

"It is mutual." Quatre leans back a bit putting a space between our faces. "And now I think we should go to sleep. I'm exhausted and we have to be up early."

I nod in agreement, though I am not sure I'm going to be doing much in the way of sleeping the next week. But, maybe, since Quatre is with me, I'll be able to. And after a few minutes of shutting everything down and brushing our teeth, we climb into bed, curled up next to each other, bare skin to bare skin.


	18. The Big Day

**(Quatre's POV)**

I'm not sure where the past week went. I think it fell into the blur that the school year seems to fall into. But, none-the-less, it came and went and now I am staring into my closet, debating on what to wear in a few hours.

"You know you should have done that yesterday." Trowa chides as he walks into the bedroom, fresh from the shower and only clad in a small, revealing towel around his waist. I am mesmerized by the view and do not even try to hide the fact that I am staring at him and the way the small droplets of water travel down over his muscular chest.

"Quatre, you're drooling." Trowa's voice cuts through the thoughts that are quickly becoming erotic. I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth, just in case I was drooling. Trowa chuckles and walks over to his dresser and pulls out underwear and socks. The dresser had been living in my guest room until a few days ago, but it made more sense to bring it in here with mine, since he pretty much lives here.

"Now, you've got a goofy grin on your face. Care to share." He asks as he walks up and snakes his arms around my waist from behind while resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Just thinking about how fast everything has happened."

Trowa gives me a gentle squeeze. "Scary, isn't it."

A nervous chuckle escapes. "Very."

I feel his warm lips on my neck. "But it works for us, so don't look too much into it."

I shiver as I feel a nip on my neck. "Gotta stop that, because we have to be at the Palace soon. And if you keep doing that, we're not going to be on time."

"Mmmhum." Trowa kisses my neck again. "So what are you wearing?"

Turning around in his arms, I give him a lost look. "Haven't a clue. What are you wearing?"

Trowa gives me a wary look. "I was going to go with the suit hanging from the closet door." His eyes dart to the black suit hanging behind me. "Is that ok?"

"I think so. Heero and Duo told me business casual was the most they wanted us to dress up. I can only assume it is for the official wedding pictures." Before I return to figuring out what I am going to wear, I give my boyfriend a firm hug and kiss him.

Trowa smirks, reaches around me into the closet and pulls out a navy blue suit. He hands it to me and then shuffles some hangers around and hands me a white button down. I stand there, looking at the suit and shirt as he continues to pick my clothes. There is a rustle of silk and a dark turquoise tie is laid on my shoulder. I give Trowa a questioning look and he beams at me, humming something that sounded oddly circusy while he walks over to my dresser and rummages in my sock drawer. After a moment of debating, he lobs a pair of navy socks onto the bed and then opens my underwear drawer and tosses a pair of silk boxers next to the socks.

I eye him and then the outfit he has just assembled for me and he flashes me a toothy grin. "Debate done. Go take a shower." He comes back over to me and takes the clothes from me and gently lays them on the bed.

For a moment, I think of rebelling against his selection and find that I can't. The blue suit is one of my favorites. It is comfortable and makes my eyes extremely bright, which is probably one of the reasons he picked it out. "Shower Quatre. Don't think. Just march that gorgeous ass of yours into the shower, turn the water on, make sure it is a good temperature and put shampoo in your hair and soap on your body. Rub vigorously," a wolfish smile crosses his lips as he says this, "and rinse until there isn't any soap left."

Trowa firmly grabs me by the shoulders, turns me in the direction of the door and waits for me to move. "Geeze. Thanks mom." I made sure to sound like a whiny brat and marched myself into the bathroom.

After making sure the temperature is just right, I throw my boxers into the hamper on top of Trowa's night clothes and get in the shower. My mind starts to wander as I follow my shower routine. I pray to Allah that the day goes well. For some reason, the idea of two of my best friends getting married is hard to completely swallow. Before Tristan left, Duo always joked that I would be the first to get married and I agreed with him. Then Tristan disappeared, and well, I wouldn't be the first anymore. Hell, I think Wufei and Zechs will beat me and they've got to deal with the royalty bit.

A wave of sadness washes over me and I feel like crying (note to self, take meds before leaving). I think I would have married Tristan, if he had wanted to. But it is so easy to look back and imagine the 'what-ifs.' I don't know if we would have lasted through high school or even our first two years of college. Allah, what a horrid thought.

But it really doesn't matter now at all. I have Trowa. A goofy grin crosses my face. Mmmm, yummy Trowa. Trowa, whose parents I am going to be meeting tomorrow, while their son comes out to them. My grin disappears, and I begin to worry. A horrible sense of foreboding fills me. What if it doesn't go well? What if they don't like me? What if? What if? What if?

"Damnit Quatre, stop it." I hiss at myself under the din of the shower. "You can't do anything about it right now, so enjoy things as they are and take tomorrow as it comes," I quietly remind myself. Trowa said that he called his parents to inform them of our arrival. I asked if he mentioned that I was coming along, and he said that he told them a friend was traveling with him but didn't say much more than that. Then again, I kinda sprung it on my father as well, with Tristan there with me.

"Quatre?" Trowa's voice cuts through the sound of the water. "You ok?"

"I'm ok." I put all the negative thoughts out of my head and turn off the water.

"Just making sure. You were in there longer than usual." I pull back the curtain in time to see my boyfriend enter the bathroom. "Or at least longer than usual when you are alone in there."

I chuckle. "Got lost in my thoughts." I take the towel Trowa offers and dry off.

He remains silent for a moment and I know he wants to say something, but instead he smiles, wraps his arms around me, and plants a gentle kiss on my lips. "Well you should get lost while getting dressed then." He kisses me more forcefully this time, effectively snapping me out of my melancholy mood.

A moan escapes as I succumb to his breath-stealing kiss. He pulls back and studies my face.

My eyes remain closed for a few moments after he pulls away, allowing for some time to bask in his affections. As he chortles, I open my eyes and he is standing there with a satisfied, triumphant smirk. "I think," he rocks us side to side, "if we don't actually try to get ready in earnest, I'll be even more tempted to be very late in exchange for more 'tasty,'" he nips at my neck, "activities."

I groan and grind my pelvis into his. "We have to get going." I say sadly and slip out of his arms.

Trowa follows me into our bedroom, and we both begin to dress. With meticulous precision, I put on my clothes. After a few minutes of making sure everything is perfectly aligned and my cuff links are securely fastened, I look at Trowa who is doing minor adjustments to the emerald tie around his neck. For a few moments he seems unaware of my eyes on him. Hungrily looking him over, I briefly consider stripping him naked and ravishing him, but when his bright calm eyes look at me, the thought slips from my mind as I know I've been caught in my little fantasy.

"Allah, you look…" Handsome, sexy, fuckable, beautiful… "wonderful." I settle with, though I'm sure handsome would have worked as well.

"So do you." He steps in front of me and gives me a promising kiss. "Though I think you're already to the undressing part."

I snort. "And you're not?"

Trowa chuckles. "Oh, I was there way before you put the suit on." He kisses me again and takes my hand and leads me out of the bedroom. "What time is our ride showing up?"

"Nine." I say glancing at my watch, just as the door bell rings. "And, as usual, he's perfectly on time." I grin at Trowa as he gives me a looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "The door is open."

Moments later the head of my personal guard walks in, looks from me to Trowa and then back to me and offers just the slightest hint of a smile. "Master Quatre." He bows politely to me.

"Hello Rashid. Trowa, this is Rashid, he is the head of my personal guard and will be accompanying us to America tonight. And Rashid, this is Trowa Barton, my boyfriend."

"Mister Barton." Rashid bows again, this time in Trowa's direction.

"Rashid." Trowa gives a polite nod of his neck and lets my hand go.

"Are you ready to depart Master Quatre?" I look about the room and run through the mental checklist. We had remembered to pack our bags for our trip to America last night so they were ready by the door.

"Yes." Fuck, medicine. "No." Both Rashid and Trowa look at me like I'm crazy, and I bolt for the kitchen, grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and my anti-depressants out of the cabinet and take my daily dose, then go back to the door, water bottle and medication in hand.

"Good call." Trowa smiles, and I slip the prescription container into the front pocket of my overnight bag and pocket the water bottle.

"Ready." Rashid nods, grabs our small bags and walks out. We follow, only stopping to lock the door.

Once outside, Rashid loads the luggage into the trunk of the limousine and one of his other men opens the door, allowing us to slide in. The door closes behind us, and we settle back against the welcoming black leather seats. When the car starts, we move to hold hands and lightly nap during the trip to Sanc Palace.

Rashid's voice calling my name snaps me out of my little nap. "We're here."

I blink a few times and squeeze Trowa's hand and he opens his eyes. "We're here?"

I nod 'yes' and the door opens, and we both get out of the car to be greeted by one of the palace staff.

"Mister Winner, Mister Barton if you would please follow me; you are expected." I offer Trowa a goofy smile, which he returns, and we follow the staff member to wherever we are expected to be.

The back yard, the one we had been partying in a week ago, has been transformed into a regal garden. The gazebo was tastefully decked with white flowers and ribbons. The decorations are all on the simple side and are masculine enough to be just right for a wedding between two men.

The Palace staff are bustling about, so much so that you would think they were catering to hundreds of people instead of nineteen if you include the newborn twins and the couple getting married.

I look around to see if I can find anyone who is not Palace staff and fail until Wufei comes towards us with long, swift strides. "Quatre, would you please go calm Duo down? He's in the west wing, the large bedroom in the corner."

I grin and look at Trowa. "You'll be ok?"

"I think I can manage. Go to your friend." We part with a sweet lingering kiss, and I leave Trowa standing with Wufei.

Finding Duo takes little time, especially since the closer I get the louder he becomes. "Duo, you're scaring the help." I say before I even see him in order to announce my presence.

"Thank God you're here Quatre." We practically collide as we both make our way to the door. With graceful agility, he turns back around towards the center of the room. Looking at him takes my breath away. He is wearing what looks like a modified Tai Chi outfit that is fitted, yet has some room to 'flutter' around him as he moves. The fabric is a pale cream that boarders on white, in fact I would have called it white if I hadn't seen the white satin lining of his cuffs.

But that really isn't what takes your breath away, it is the immense length of thick chestnut hair that nips at his calves as he walks. The top part has been pulled back and is bound with a bead and leather contraption that Zechs probably helped him with since he's the only other man in our group with long hair.

"Heero made me trim it for the wedding." Duo said with a frown having noticed where my eyes were drawn too. "They had to take a little over half a foot off to make it look neat."

"It is quite stunning down Duo. And that length is fine." I reassure my best friend.

Duo grumbles nonsensically. "So do you need help with anything?"

"No, not really. Just antsy and want to get this show on the road." He says and looks in the floor to ceiling mirror and smoothes out the non-existent creases on his top. "And I haven't seen Heero in twenty-four hours and that's making me even crazier. Zechs insisted that we follow that BS tradition. We don't even know what the other looks like in their outfit. We agreed that the outfits would be the same design, tried on prototypes separately with a third party telling us if they looked good. I can't stand going a few hours without seeing him, let alone and entire day. And not just any fucking day. The twenty four hour period before we are legally bound to each other." He rants as he paces.

"Well, it is almost time, so you don't have to wait much longer. But think of how much more wonderful that first kiss will be once you've exchanged rings."

"Yeah, I know. I just want this over with."

"It will be. Just be a little more patient." I grab him firmly by the shoulders and stop his pacing. "Duo, chill out. You're practically married to Heero as it is. There won't be anyone here that you don't know except for maybe Catherine's date. You have a short ceremony, and then it will be over and you'll be on your way to the Caribbean with your husband."

Duo leans on my arms, rests his forehead on mine and takes a deep breath. "I know. You know you're next Q man."

I shake my head to the best of my ability with Duo still attached to me. "Nah, 'Fei and Mill are next."

Duo chuckles and looks me in the eyes. "I betcha a million that you're next."

I look deep into his exotic eyes and laugh. "You're really certain, aren't you?"

He nods 'yes' vigorously. "Then no way in hell am I making that bet."

"Oh come on, what is a million to Quatre Winner?" He mock pouts.

I chuckle. "Well if it was all mine, then I might, but my father would not like that I blew a million on a bet."

"What is a million to billions?"

"Not the point Duo. Not my money to blow like that."

"Oh, you're no fun."

"I would bet a million of Zech's money that you are next too, Quatre." Wufei chimes in from the doorway.

"Dammit. My friends conspire against me."

Wufei rolls his eyes dramatically. "Your boyfriend is waiting for you outside Quatre, grab a seat, I'm sure you won't have trouble finding one."

"Yes sir." I move to leave, but stop in the doorway next to Wufei. "You look good in that outfit." Wufei conscientiously runs his hands down the front of the long black silk traditional Chinese jacket and blushes ever so slightly.

"It was a gift from Zechs." He says after clearing his throat. "Go Quatre." He shoos me away and turns to Duo. "You follow me. Time for you to get married."

I smile and walk out of the house in search of my boyfriend. The chairs by the gazebo are now full with our friends, and I see Trowa waiting for me a few feet away from them. As I get closer, he reaches out his hand to me, and I take it at the soonest possible moment. We sit down next to Sally and Brad and wait for the ceremony to start. Trowa gently tugs on my hand while I am looking about, and I turn my head to find out what he wants, only to have his lips pressing against mine the moment I do. I kiss him back happily, and Duo's assertion that I'll be the next to get married surfaces. As I pull back from Trowa, I look at him. It would be amazing if he was the one I end up with. I think we are good for each other. Allah, I hope you decide not to play with my heart any more. I don't think I could take it.

I am drawn out of my thoughts by the sound of a string quartet playing some sort of non-traditional wedding music. Trowa and I both look around, as does everyone else in order to spot the happy couple. I see them approaching from different sides of the house, both making their way to the gazebo where Zechs now stands in the full royal dress uniform. Wufei takes a seat off to the side and watches his boyfriend, while ever so often looking up to take note of how close Heero and Duo are to being in position.

I look back to Duo, who is approaching from my left, and note the intense look of concentration on his face as head turns from looking at Heero to making sure he's on target and then back to Heero. Heero appears to be doing the same thing, but looks far less frantic about it.

The string group stops playing as soon as they are standing in position, and they turn to Zechs who begins the ceremony. They both say some things, share a drink from a handcrafted clay goblet and exchange rings with each other. All in all, the ceremony lasts between ten and twenty minutes and then ends when they join hands, kiss and walk back towards the house.

"Short and sweet." Trowa says with a smile.

"Very short, but incredibly fitting for those two."

"Are there going to be pictures?" Trowa asks as he motions to the happy couple disappearing into the house.

"Eventually. There's staff around to get them looking proper again when they are done." I reply with a cheeky smile and take Trowa's hand and guide him to the drink table. "I think Duo's going to explode if he doesn't get his daily dose of Heero. He seemed to have been suffering withdrawal when I saw him earlier."

"Well then," Trowa smiles at me. "What do we do now, while the newlyweds alleviate some nervous energy?"

"We enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres until it is picture time." I grin proudly, as I hold up a glass of white wine.

"Sounds like a plan." Trowa picks up a glass of blush and sips it.

It isn't long before someone fetches me for pictures. "Mister Winner you are needed for photographs."

"Oh course." I nod to the assistant, place my empty glass down and give Trowa a happy lopsided grin. "I'll see you in a little bit." We share a lingering kiss, and I trot off after the assistant who was kind enough to not stick around while I kiss my boyfriend.

I catch up with the assistant, and he leads me into one of the spare bedrooms. "Gloria will help you get ready for pictures. Join us in the next room when you are finished." I nod to the man and he turns and leaves. Gloria enters the room mere moments after the assistant left and with a large Disney smile she walks up to me and hands me a warm, wet towel that faintly smells of citrus.

"For your face, as it is hot out there." I nod and unravel the towel. "When you are ready, please sit in the chair. "

"Sure." I sit in the chair and proceed to wipe the sweat from my face, revealing in the relaxing moist heat.

"So, I heard Wufei was willing to bet a million of my money on who is going to get married next." Zech's deep voice reverberates from the door way.

I chuckle. "Would you take that bet, as well?"

Zech's chuckles. "I would."

I peek at him from behind the cooling towel. "Why is everyone so certain of this?" I ask, a bit frustrated.

"Because I'm not sure if the nation or our families are ready for us to be married. You are by far the most likely person to be exchanging vows next. And who knows, maybe that gorgeous man outside is going to be the one that you will be exchanging vows with."

"Aren't you jumping things a bit? We just met." I glare at him until Gloria turns my heads towards a mirror so she can fix my hair.

"I don't think I am jumping to any conclusions that you haven't already jumped to." I grumble nothing in particular. "We all like him Quatre, so we're all hoping this one works." In the mirror, I see him give me a genuine smile before turning and walking away.

"You're done. The room next door is where the pictures are being taken."

"Thanks." I beam at her and bound out of the room and into the next. The room is full of professional photography equipment and behind the camera is a very prominent fashion photographer from America. More than likely, Zechs is cashing in on a few favors that he is owed.

Heero and Duo are beaming and radiating sickening happiness, but I am happy for them and ask Allah that he grant them peace, love and prosperity until their dying day. Which I hope will be a long, long time from now.

I'm not sure if they notice me enter between the lights, the camera flash, and the fact that their world currently exists only in each other's eyes. Zechs does see me and walks over, stopping next to me. "Duo wants some pictures with just you and him, then some pictures with all three of you. When we're done with that more people will start joining until the gang is all together. They also thought that you would like some pictures of just you and Trowa. Feel free to get everything you need." He gives me a sly wink and walks over to the photographer. "Quatre is here." Zechs informs the world renowned artist.

"Thank you Zechs." The photographer nods to Zechs, then to me and calls out to Duo and Heero. "Heero can you step aside for a moment?"

Heero nods, a goofy grin planted on his usually stoic features, and kisses Duo before leaving the backdrops and lights.

"Omeditou Heero."

"Arigato." My friend beams happily and goes off to stand by Zechs.

Duo rushes over and pulls me into the lights. "You doing ok Q-man?"

I hesitate for a second, and Duo frowns. "That's what I thought."

"Oh come on Duo, that isn't fair."

"I know. No one ever said I was fair." He smiles and pulls me into a tight hug. "I think good things are coming Q, you just gotta let them happen. Forcing things and constantly waiting for something to go a certain way is just going to make you more anxious and depressed."

"I'm trying. But, let's not talk about this. The day is devoted to you and Heero. My insecurities can wait until you come back from two weeks on a tropical island with no other inhabitants."

"Fair enough Q-ball. Picture time." He releases his grip on me and spins to face the photographer.

"Ready?"

Duo looks at me, and I nod and then he looks at the photographer and nods. "Ready."

The next two hours are devoted to thorough picture taking. And when I say thorough, I mean it. Pictures are taken in different combinations of people with different backdrops and poses. Our hot shot American makes sure to cover all bases. Hopefully, they turn out as nice as this guy is capable of doing.

I also noticed that the photographer did a wonderful job of including Trowa in pictures without making it incredibly obvious that he was taking similar shots without him in it. I offer up a small prayer to Allah asking that there never come a time where we will be hiding away the pictures with Trowa in them.

When the photographer finally puts down his camera, we all look somewhat relieved, and blink rapidly, desperately trying to regain our normal eyesight back and get rid of the bright flash echoes. "Everyone, if you world be so kind as to join us outside, dinner is about to be served." Zechs announces over the chattering din, and we all turn to look at him.

Duo is the first to respond. He bounces over to Heero grabs his hand and gives him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Come on sexy lets eat something. I'm starving."

The corner of Heero's mouth quirks up and he looks like he is about to say something, but simply shakes his head and grins. "I think that is an excellent idea." They join hands and lead the way it the door.

I grab Trowa's hand and he squeezes it tightly. Allah, I like him so much, please don't take him away from me. I offer up my silent prayer.

The rest of the night proceeds without a hitch. The food is spectacular, but that is to be expected from the Prince of Sanc. The music is a mix of live and recorded, which adds nicely to the diverse atmosphere. We dance, drink fine alcohol and party with our friends in a happy, oblivious, sort of way. Trowa and I avoid any mention of what we are going to be doing tomorrow. I think we are doing so only to alleviate some of the tension that has been mounting over the last few days.

Around ten pm, the party starts winding down. Next to me, Trowa looks exhausted, but contented, so I figure the exhaustion comes from partying all day and not from nervousness. "You ready to head out?" I ask knowing that the question is going to damper the mood a bit. I wrap my arm around his waist and pull him close.

Trowa sighs. "About as ready as I'll ever be." The says quietly and wraps his arm around my shoulders, giving me a tight squeeze.

It doesn't take an empath to tell that he is very worried about this trip. I guess that troubles me the most. Being nervous about something like this is normal. But there is something else that I can't quiet place, something that goes beyond worrying about how his parents are going to react to the news. Allah. I wish he would let me know what he is thinking: Maybe I could help in some way.

"Hey, Quatre, don't think about it too much right now. You are making me more nervous." Trowa gives me another squeeze and all I can do is offer him a weak smile. "Quatre, really, don't worry. I want to enjoy this wonderful night to its fullest and not think about what is going to happen tomorrow." He gives me a genuine, loving grin and kisses me gently on the lips.

I melt into the kiss and pull him flush to me. I feel his lips turn up into a smile, and he slips his fingers into my hair, deepening the kiss. I am vaguely aware that we are standing where everyone can see us. But I guess that is the nice part at being at a gay wedding. It is completely expected that two men are going to be kissing.

"Hey love birds. We got to get going." Duo says, breaking the spell Trowa has me under. I shoot him a dirty look to show that I did not like the fact that I had been interrupted. "Hey Q-man, I'm not the one who put the schedule together. You did. So don't go giving me the look of death when I remind you of your plans." He flashes a toothy grin and bounces backwards into Heero's waiting arms.

I grumble something nonsensical and Trowa laughs. "Do you blame him?"

"No, not really. I'd want to get my honeymoon started as soon as possible too."

"See." My boyfriend smiles and nuzzles my neck. "And then we can be alone for a while too." He whispers between feathery kisses.

"You are forgetting my entourage." I groan unhappily.

"Don't you have personal quarters on board?" He looks at me expectantly. "I've never been on a fancy private plane, but I thought they would have some place where you can have some privacy."

I think about the layout of the plane for a moment. "Well, I guess there is. The sections of the cabin have real doors, so they can be closed. Not locked, but it is understood that if the door is closed the occupants are not to be disturbed."

Trowa grins triumphantly. "See we can be alone then."

His voice is husky and combining that with the chill his breath on my neck generates, I fight to keep myself from jumping him right here and now. A soft whimper escapes my lips, and I hear Heero laugh. HEERO! Allah, I must come across pathetically desperate and horny. "Or in love."

Ok, that gets me at of my self destructive thoughts. I glare at Heero. "What…?" There are words in my mind, but they stubbornly remain caught on my tongue.

"I know you heard me." He smirks. "I know that look Quatre, and I know what you think about when you have that look. So, stop beating yourself up over stuff you shouldn't be beating yourself up about."

"You know Heero, sometimes you truly amaze me with some of the stuff you say." Duo says with an impressed tone in his voice.

"Only sometimes?" Heero looks a bit shocked. "I would think that since I speak so little, everything out of my mouth would be profound and insightful." I am amazed he is able to say that with a straight face.

"You are such an asshole Yuy." Duo playfully pushes his husband's shoulder.

"I believe that is Yuy-Maxwell now." My normally quiet friend says as he pulls Duo close.

Duo's eyes glaze over and he happily enters la-la land. "Oh, I do like the sound of that very much."

"Ok, cut it out you two." I say, pretending to be disgusted. "We need to get going." Duo shoots me a look, and I stick out my tongue.

"Oh, I see how it is." I smirk as Duo begins talking. "So, it is ok when you are ready to go. But when we," he motions to Heero and himself, "the newly married couple, want to leave for our honeymoon, we have to wait?"

"Yes, because the cars weren't here yet." Not that I planned this, but I'm just going to pretend that did because this truly is too perfect. I pull my vibrating cell phone at of my pants pocket and answer. "Hello Rashid."

"Master Quatre, if you are ready to depart, the car for Mister Maxwell and Mister Yuy is here."

"Thank you, Rashid. We will be there shortly." I say and disconnect the call. "All right, time to say goodbyes for the time being." Duo beams happily at me as friends swarm around us.

First, everyone wishes the newlyweds love and support and tell them to have fun. All the while, Heero has this look on his face, like he's up to no good. But, that's probably true considering he's off to a secluded tropical island with his husband, the man he has been in love with since he was fourteen. It seems to be a love story out of a fairytale, and I don't doubt that they will have their own version of happily ever after. Maybe that is the romantic in me talking or maybe it is my faith in my friends, and the bonds that they share.

Once everyone wishes the newlyweds happiness and joy, Trowa and I are showered with words of encouragement and strong, supporting hugs. I believe I have the best friends in the world and at this very moment you would have a very hard time convincing me otherwise. Through, that being said, I can't think of a time when someone would have been able to ever convince me otherwise. A person may have been able to get me to second guess how close Tristan and I were, though. It is hard to comprehend why the person you loved most in the world, and who you thought loved you most too, would have completely severed all ties and disappear without a trace. He is the only person I am not sure what to think about.

With a final round of farewells and hugs, the four of us manage to make our escape to the cars. Rashid is waiting by my car and the door to the back seat is open and waiting. Trowa and I move to the car, and just as we unlace our fingers so we can get inside, Duo grabs my free hand and quickly begins to pull me into the shadows of the driveway.

"Duo, what is going on?" I ask as my brow furls with confusion.

"Shush Quat." He kisses me softly on the lips and pulls me into a tight embrace. The kiss is nothing more than platonic, but I know why he did it. It seals the past few years up, and marks the beginning of something new. Not just for Heero and Duo, but for me as well. "Good luck tomorrow and never forget how in love you are with him." He says softly.

I sigh and squeeze him tightly back. "Duo, I don't really know how much I love him."

My best friend's body shakes with silent laughter. "No Q-man, I am quite certain you do. You just don't want to admit it before tomorrow is done and over with. But don't wait that long. I think you both need the strength that realization will give you."

"Duo, do you know something I don't?" I pull back and try to look into his eyes, but can see little more than shadows.

"Quatre, I will always know something you don't. And I can bet that they are things you will never, ever, want to know." He chuckles. "But, concerning this, no, I don't know anything. I just know what my gut tells me and what I have found from personal experience. You will have my support one hundred percent. Always."

"It is funny. I was just thinking about how wonderful my friends are."

"We are awesome, aren't we?" He gives me a cheeky grin.

"You are so modest Duo. You have got to work on being more outgoing." I tease and gently nudge him in the ribs.

"No way in hell Q-man. I am totally a married man now. My days of being overly outgoing are done with."

"Uh huh." I nod pretending to accept what he just said. "Our boys are waiting for us Duo." I motion in the direction of Heero and Trowa who are looking at us expectantly.

Duo grins, puts his hands deep into his pockets and starts to head back to our waiting partners. "Q, I so need to get laid." He sticks out his tongue and skips at of reach as I try to smack him.

"I do not want to hear it Duo." I shout after him and he hides behind Heero. Heero raises his eyebrow, looks at me. "Ask him. I'm not talking about it."

Heero's body shakes as he chuckles quietly. "I think Quatre, that it is time to part ways for right now. I think Duo needs to go to bed." Duo peeks out from behind Heero and nods in agreement.

"I don't think Duo is the only one." Trowa says smoothly as he snakes his arms around my waist and pulls me back against his chest. "Let's be done talking." He says softly into my ear, and I melt into his arms.

"Um ok. I'm fine with that." I vaguely notice Heero giving, probably Trowa, a thumbs up. Then Heero turns around, and in one quick, smooth motion, he scoops Duo up into his arms. Duo grumbles in protest and I hear Heero tell him to stop squirming or he'll be dropped to the ground, and that he wouldn't have needed to carry him if he knew that he wasn't going to run off for some more private conversations. Duo whines something to the effect that he isn't going to be running off again. Then Heero says, 'I know,' and tosses Duo into the back seat of the limo.

"What the hell 'Ro?"

My handsome Japanese friend looks over his shoulder at me and Trowa and offers us a mischievous grin, then turns back to the car and pushes his husband deeper into the car so he can move in next to him. "Good luck you two, we'll see you in two weeks." Heero says before closing the car door.

"I think that is our cue to go." Trowa announces with a light kiss to my neck.

"I think you are right." I stretch my arms over my head and wrap them, a bit awkwardly, around Trowa's neck.

Then, as if on cue, Rashid opens the back door to my car and waits patiently for Trowa and I to disconnect from each other long enough to get in. My face flushes red with embarrassment as I realize that my behavior could be more than a little awkward for the head of my personal guard. If he is bothered by my sexual orientation, he has never let on that it does. Not that I've ever really spent a lot of time around him with a boyfriend present. The only one he ever spent any time with was Tristan.

We quietly climb into the car and buckle up. Rashid closes the door and takes his seat in the front passenger's side. When his door shuts tight, my driver pulls out of the Peacecraft drive.

The trip to the Winner airfield in Sanc is a quiet one. Trowa and I hold hands the entire way, and I know I doze off a few times on the way there. In fact, I am startled awake as Trowa shakes my shoulder gently.

"Quatre we're here."

I blink a few times and look around. "We're here?" I ask stupidly.

Trowa chuckles softly. "We are. Duo and Heero's plane is on the runway now. Rashid says our plane is ready to go. So all we have to do is get on board."

Nodding my understanding, I undo my seat belt and slide out of the already open door. I wait for Trowa to come around to my side, and I grab hold of his hand as we walk towards the plane.

Upon reaching the stairs up into the plane, we drop hands, and I climb the steps with practiced ease, Trowa right behind me. I lead him to our cabin and instead of sitting in my normal seat, I sit opposite it in a chair that has one right next to it and motion for him to sit down next to me. He does and buckles in right away. He looks tired and I think the high from the wedding has finally worn off and the reality of tomorrow's 'confrontation' his hitting him.

"How are you doing?" I look at him and squeeze his hand.

Trowa take a deep breath. "Nervous, anxious, can't wait for this to be done."

"I'll be ok." I give his hand another squeeze.

"I hope so." He squeezes back.

The PA system comes to life and Rashid's voice booms through the cabin. "Winner Five is on its way and we have been cleared for take-off. ETA to Massachusetts eight hours, enjoy the flight and let us know if you need anything." As Rashid talks I feel the plane begin to taxi and my eyes fall heavy. I've spent so much time flying that it is almost natural for me to do so. Some people fall asleep in cars, I fall asleep when the engines power up and the cabin is pressurized.

"Trowa, I'm sorry if I fall asleep. I just crash on the plane." I give him an apologetic look.

"It's ok, I don't think I could stay up anyway."

I nod as we speed down the runway, by the time the wheels are off the ground, I have my head on Trowa's shoulder and before we level out, I am sound asleep.


	19. Facts and Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Homophobic Language and behaviour toward the end. Extremely bad examples of not parenting.

(Quatre PoV)

When I finally wake up, the plane has already been on the ground in Massachusetts for a few hours. I notice our chairs were reclined while we slept and blankets were placed on top of us. Trowa is still next to me and looks to be drifting in and out of dreams, so I leave him be and let him decide when he wants to wake up and get up to use the facilities and shower.

I must admit that the shower on board the plane is one of the many benefits of having a private jet. It can't be used while we're in flight, but it is so nice when we land to be able to use it and not need to check into a hotel where I have to sleep on a mattress countless others have slept on. It makes me feel icky just thinking about it. Say I'm spoiled if you want to, but really, how many people have had sex on those mattresses… bleh.

As I emerge from the shower, I see that someone has left the bag with my change of clothes right inside the door. I chuckle to myself, feeling stupid that I forgot to bring the bag in with me and glad that someone thought to bring it to me. There isn't a lot in the bag, a change of clothes and some toiletries, all of which I pull out and set down on the counter to arrange.

I get dressed, brush my hair and teeth and put everything away. As I am closing the zipper, Trowa comes walking in, his soft hair looking a bit unruly after sleeping, still looking like he is partially asleep.

"Morning." I say softly and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Mmm, need a shower." He mumbles as he wraps his arms around me and rests his head on my shoulder.

"Well, you are in the right place for that. I'll let you shower and I'll go see what's for breakfast."

Trowa nods, his head still on my shoulder. "Rashid has coffee ready. Auda is getting food."

"Sounds good." I kiss his exposed neck. "I'll see you in a few." Trowa nods again and loosens his grip on me just enough to slip free and get out the door. His bag is lying by where he was sleeping, so I grab it and place it in the bathroom before closing the door so he can have some privacy.

"Master Quatre." Rashid's deep voice fills the cabin.

"Good Morning Rashid." I turn to see him carrying a mug of coffee. "I trust all is well."  
"It is, thank you." He hands me the mug, and I take a ginger sip, preparing myself for it to be so hot it is border line undrinkable. I am happy to say that it isn't too hot, in fact, it is perfect, and it is a blend I absolutely love. It has such a unique mix of tastes, both bitter and sweet. Simply perfect coffee.

Rashid stands next to me in a comfortable silence drinking his coffee, and I start to wonder how today is going to unfold. I pray it all goes well; that his family is accepting and understanding, but at the same time I mentally begin to prepare myself for the worst. The worst case that I can think of is being shunned by his family, and in my mind I can't think of anything worse than that. I don't know what would have happened if my family had not supported me. I know my father was, and I think still is to an extent, saddened by the news, but he has always been kind, loving and understanding.

I let a smile creep to my lips as I think of my family and the support they have always given me… "Young Master, I have brought breakfast." Auda announces loudly, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Oh, good." Trowa announces with a smile as he emerges from the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day. Then he looks to me, to the medium sized paper bag full of morning goodies, and then turns back to me his smile now more of a frown. "Mmm, maybe food isn't the best thing right now."

"Nervous?" I ask and take the bag from Auda, why he nods 'yes.' "You should put something in your stomach though, even if it is only a little bit of something." I cradle the bag in one hand and open it with the other. The smell that wafts from the bag is glorious an my mouth just starts to water with the smell of fresh breads and sweet pastries. "Bagel?" I pull a plain, still warm, bagel out of the bag and show my boyfriend. "Looks like there is some butter, cream cheese and jam in here as well.

"A plain bagel sounds good, maybe with a little butter." He takes it from my hand and I dig out the butter and another warm bagel, pumpernickel, for me. Just as I finished taking everything out of the bag, two plates are presented to me and I place my bagel on one and Trowa places his on the other. Rashid carriers the plates to the small table in the main cabin and Auda takes the bag and butter from me and places them next to the plates on the table.

I let Trowa go first and I watch his hand shake as he butters his bagel. I don't say anything, but when he puts down the knife I gently touch his hand reassuringly. He turns and looks at me with his big green eyes and I see how nervous and scared he is. I know I was scared when I went to tell my father, but I don't think I was this scared. What had happened to cause him to be this afraid of his parents? I lean in and place a lingering, loving kiss on his lips. "Try to eat something." I whisper, my lips brushing the smooth expanse of his cheek.

Trowa nods, lets out a shaky breath and pulls the buttered bagel apart into smaller pieces. "Master Quatre." Rashid reminds me of his presence in the room and I look at him with a slight nod of my head, motioning for him to continue. "The cars have arrived. We are able to leave when you are ready."

"Thank you Rashid, I think we're about ready to go." With a glance to Trowa, I pick up my bagel and take a bite out of it and revel in how good it tastes. I feel a bit bad because I know Trowa is too nervous to truly appreciate how good they are, but I do hope he finishs it.

"I'm ok to go Quatre, I'll bring the bagel with me to snack on while we drive there." He smiles and I know he is trying to push the thoughts from his mind that are causing him to shake.

"All right." With a brisk movement I turn to face Rashid, who looks a bit surprised by the suddenness of my action.

"I'll take point on the way there, Trowa will navigate for me, then we'll follow you and Auda back."

"Very well Master Quatre." Rashid and Auda both give a small bow signaling their understanding

"I'll be right back." I kiss Trowa and he gives me a quizzical look. "Later."

I motion for Rashid to follow me to the back of the cabin, he does without question, though I can feel the others' eyes on us as we do so.

Once in the back by the bulk head I drop my voice and begin talking in Arabic. Rude as anything, especially since, as far as I know, Trowa doesn't understand it at all.

"I want you and Auda to hang back a little, I don't want I to look like an invasion, but he's extremely nervous and a bit scared, and I don't take that as a good sign."

"Master Quatre, he is correct to be scared and nervous." Rashid gently reminds me.

I'm not exactly sure what he thinks about my relationship with Trowa, but for the most part he doesn't seem to mind. I never felt any ill will from him when I was dating Tristan, and it is the same with Trowa.

"I know, but there is an edge to it. I don't think anything will happen, but…I just don't have a good feeling about this."

Rashid nods and we return back to Trowa and Auda. The look on Auda's face matches that of Trowa, and I know that the only other person in the room that spoke Arabic hadn't heard. He seemed a little peeved about that, but he didn't say anything.

"What did you say?"

I smile and place another kiss on his lips. "Later, I promise, but don't worry about it for now."  
Trowa opens his mouth to protest and stops, seeming to resign himself to wait until I tell him. I take his hand, grip it tightly and begin to pull him towards the exit to the plane. He seems confused at first and barely keeps himself from tripping over his own feet, but he catches himself gracefully and falls in pace with me.

The bright morning light hits me squarely as I step out onto the top of the stairs. I close my eyes instinctually and drop Trowa's hand so I can use both hands to shade my eyes. I'd forgotten my sunglasses, and since I almost never drove at my destination and the cars always had very dark tinted windows, I didn't have any backups stashed anywhere. Oh well, I can deal with that.  
The sun is almost blinding and I curse them silently for not having taxied so that we would not be exiting into the rising sun as I carefully make my way down the stairs. By the time my feet touch pavement, I have more or less adjusted to the glaring light. Not that it is a long way down the stairs, just that my eyes adjusted quickly. Looking back at Trowa, I see he is having the same issues with the sun as I am and stand at the base of the stairs in case his eyes don't feel like adjusting as quickly as mine did.

He makes it to the bottom without any issues and I take his hand back at the earliest possible moment. I want him to know I'm here, that I support him, and that he can lean on me if he needs too. A man in black quickly approaches us and I startle at his brisk movements and panic a bit thinking that this man was going to do something horrible to me, even though I felt no malice from him at all.

"Quatre Winner?" I nod, not trusting myself to say anything rude to the man. He holds out a pair of keys to me. I look at the keys blankly and then at the man like he is crazy. "You had requested cars." He says slowly, still holding the set of keys out to me. "These belong to the metallic blue 7 series over there." I glance over at the cars and sure enough there is a metallic blue BMW 7 series parked there, with one of my men already inspecting it. I take the keys from the man's hand and thank him. He nods and wanders back to the car where two other men stand, all dressed similarly in crisp black suits and no color. It is like the Men In Black started a car service as a side business.  
"Ready." I lean into Trowa and kiss his shoulder.

He shakes his head, his light brown hair dancing around his face. "Not really, but we're here." He runs his fingers through his hair to put it back in place.

I take his hand, our fingers interlacing, and lead the way to the car. My guard holds my door open for me and I give Trowa's hand a tight squeeze before separating so we could get in.

The sound of the doors closing make me jump and one look to my boyfriend and I know he will not be talking much on the trip to his parents house. So I let him be, knowing that if he needs to talk about what is about to happen he will.

I turn the key in the ignition and the BMW comes quietly to life. Sometimes, I miss the louder engines of older model performance vehicles. There is something about them that makes me giddy when I get in one and the engine roars to life. Oh well, today isn't a day for a muscle car anyway, this one will do just fine. I switch the transmission to manual, because I feel the need to have some control over something today, and take to the road. Luckily, we were able to use an airstrip about 30 miles away from his parent's house, which made it easier for me to get almost there without having him to navigate.

The thirty miles pass in silence. I did not want to fiddle with the radio, and Trowa does not seem all that interested in music at the moment, so I leave it be.

Fall is coming to Massachusetts and it reminds me quite a bit of Sanc. The trees are just beginning to think about changing colors as some already sport a yellow or red leaves here and there.  
Over all the area where they live is beautiful with an air of peace about it. Hopefully, that peace will follow us into the development where the Barton house is.

"Trowa." I say as I pull into the entrance to the development and slowly follow the road around so I don't miss it, or almost miss it and risk having someone run into me.

"There." Trowa points to a drive way accented by low white fences and landscaped flower beds.  
I nod and pull into the driveway, Rashid and Auda stop on the side of the road just before the driveway, allowing us enough privacy to do what we need to do, but within quick reach if the situation warranted it. Shifting the car into park, I look at Trowa and slowly our eyes meet. The level of nervousness in the car is reaching the point of tangibility and Trowa looks like he's about to lose the meager breakfast he had eaten. I reach over and squeeze his hand. "Hey, come on. We're here now, turning back really isn't an option."

He nods, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before leaning over, cupping the side of my face and resting his forehead on mine. "Whatever happens Quatre, know that I am in love you with you and I never ever want to hurt you."

"What…" Trowa cuts me off with a tender kiss before I can say anything more.

"Later." He kisses me again. "I promise." I nod obediently, not wishing to make his already difficult task any harder.

Just as he reaches for the door handle and makes to pull away, my brain catches up with the fact he just told me he is in love with me and I my stomach does happy somersaults. "Wait." I grab his sleeve and pull him back to me. "I love you too." We kiss once more, just as tender, but more lingering than the first two.

Trowa offers me a smile, but it is laced with sadness and I do not know how to read it. "Ok, time to get this over with." With a nod I get out of the car and he follows suit.

There appears to be a mutual understanding that we not to hold hands as we approach the house, though, I want nothing more than to do so. Instead, we walk so close together that our arms touch as we walk.

The walk up the three steps to the quaint little deck and to the front door are the most difficult I've ever made and I'm not even the one coming out. Trowa takes another deep breath and I give his hand a quick reassuring squeeze as he knocks on the door.

After a length of time that seems unbearably long, the door opens and my eyes go wide as I see Tristan's mother standing on the other side of the threshold. "Dear Allah." I whisper under my breath.

The screen door opens and Mrs. Barton looks from her son, then to me and back to Trowa. "Tristan, what is this faggot doing here?" She practically snarls and I feel like I've been punched hard in the stomach.

Trowa sets his jaw and his hands clench into tight fists. "So you know him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Now get that trash off my property." Now I feel sick and the memories of Tristan's mother surface from when I was dating her son. She was sweet, kind and loving. I don't know where this woman came from, but there was no doubt in my mind that the woman in my memory and the one standing in front of me are the same person.

"Fine. Quatre will go back to the car." He looks at me for verification that this is okay and I give him a accepting nod. "And you and father will answer my questions."

"We have to do no such thing." She says, tilting her chin up in a condescending manner.

"I'm your fucking son and I deserve answers." Trowa all but shouts back, barely containing the rage I feel building up inside of him.

His mother snorts in annoyance and shuts the door in our faces. Before I can talk, Trowa has got my by the hand and is leading me back to the car. "What just happened?" I ask, my voice wavering as I do so.

Trowa gentle grasps both sides of my face and bring our heads together, repeating the gesture the he had just done in the car. "I don't know, but I need to find out." He replies in a hushed emotional voice. "There is a folder in the large thin pocket in my backpack, it is the dossier that Heero had Rashid send him on Tristan Barton. Read it? There was a bad accident right before the move here. I don't remember anything from my life in Sanc. So I need them to tell me why. Why they never told me anything. Though from their reaction to you, I have a pretty good idea of why. Please be here when I get back." He desperately pleads.

I can't help but chuckle softly at the absurdness of the request. "Why would I leave the man I love… The man I have loved since I was thirteen alone, far away from home with those people?" I nod to the house. "Your mother looks like the woman I used to know, but her attitude and personality are completely foreign."

A wave of agony emanates from Trowa and I wrap my arms around him and pull him close, he does in kind and clutches my shirt with both hands. "You have to do this, and when you're done, we'll leave this place and go home together and figure what little we need to figure out about us. Ok?"

Trowa nods and we exchange a needy reassuring kiss. "Come get me if I'm not out after a hour." He says, the tears in his eyes contradicting the smile on his face.

I cannot help but laugh. "I'll send Rashid in, but I'll follow. He's scarier than I am."

A genuine laugh escapes his lips. "Wish me luck."

"Always." I kiss him again and he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, about faces and sets his sights on the door. I watch him as he walks with slow, even steps towards the house that contains the secrets of a past he can't remember. When he gets to the doors he opens the screen door and before he tries the main door he looks over his shoulder at me. After I give him a reassuring nod, he turns his attention back to the door. It swings open with what appears to be little resistance and he disappears inside.

I wait until both doors close before returning to the driver's seat of the car. Once inside I pull Trowa's bag to me, open up the pocket he told me to and pull out the manila envelope within. In the process I notice an unopened box of cloves and a lighter and I smile. Probably not the best thing I could do right now, but fuck it! I pack the box and removed the cellophane wrapper, taking the time to smell the sweet, exotic scent of the cigarettes. I take one out, light it and take a long drag.

As I exhale slowly I look around for a place on the ground to read. Upon finding a nice grassy patch I take my clove and the folder and situate myself on the ground, place the folder in front of me and hold my breath as I open it. I am greeted with pictures of a Tristan from half a year old to today. I pull out the pictures from Sophomore year and one of the most recent one in the file and place them side by side. Now that they are next to each other, I wonder why I never put two and two together to begin with. Perhaps I am too close to the situation. That I had resigned myself to the fact that Tristan didn't want me as part of his life ever again. That those things, coupled with my own immense insecurity, made me blind to overwhelming similarities between the two.

Though there are obvious differences between the two faces. His nose is not the same as it was when he was a teenager, and he's aged several years. I put the two pictures aside, setting them on the ground next to the folder. I go through the rest of the pictures and flip through the file to get an idea of what all it covered. Another smaller folder catches my attention. It had 'Police Report' on the cover and Tristan's name on it. I flip it open and nearly lose my breakfast. A picture of a bloodied mass of a person is the top one in several photographs paper clipped to the back of the folder.

With shaky hands I remove the paperclip and flip the photo over. 'Tristan Alexander Barton AC 197, record of damage prior to medical treatment.' "Allah." I whisper. This happened two days after I last saw him. I flip through more of the pictures. Some are from the scene of the accident and what was left of the car Tristan was driving and the semi on its side. Allah, I don't know how he had survived that. Other pictures are of Tristan healing and the surgeries performed to repair the damage from the accident. Well, that explained the differences in the sixteen year old Tristan and the twenty year old.

I feel sick to my stomach after going through all the pictures and reading the report. Seems his parents had him transported to Boston Medical as soon as he became stable enough to travel, under the guise of transferring him to the foremost neurology specialist in the world. That makes me laugh, he would have done better on L4 with my family than going to the United States. I'll have to call my sisters and find out who they recommend for Trowa's memory loss.

It doesn't look like charges were ever brought against the driver of the semi for almost killing Tristan, which I find very odd since the police report says that the semi ran a red light while Tristan had a green one.

The other files go over his school records, including his transition to Sanc University this semester. I read all the contents of the folder and smoke four cloves in the process. When I finish I check my watch and quietly swear to myself as Trowa has now been inside the house for forty five minutes. I swear again and gather the contents of the folder I had strewn about me, and put them back in the folder. I halt momentarily when I hear the front door to the house slam with shutter rattling strength.

Quickly, I throw the folder into the car and rush over to Trowa who is storming towards me in a hurricane of emotions, his face glistening from tears in the early afternoon sun. As soon as I can reach him, I pull him to me and wrap my arms, holding him tight. He locks his arms around my waist and hugs me as if his life depended on it.

"Went that well?" I ask, attempting to lighten the mood, if only minutely.

A bitter laugh escapes his lips and he pulls back just enough to look in my eyes. "Well, I guess being disinherited is better than being dead."

"Disinherited?" I'm not happy with that news.

"Yes, as I am too old to disown." He takes a deep, shaky breath, exhales slowly and wipes his hands across his face in attempt to clear the tears away. "Can we get out of here now? I'll tell you what happened when we are far away from this place."

I nod and after a moment I frown. "I'll be right back." I glance over my shoulder and look at where Rashid is parked and nod towards the house, letting him know that I am about to head there in case he felt the need to be closer. I see a sharp nod and as I turn back around I see him making motions to get out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Trowa asks me with a furled brow and questioning eyes.

"To tell your parents off." I say and wiggle out of my boyfriend's tight embrace.

"Quatre it won't do any good. I can guarantee they aren't the people you once knew."

I offer him a weak smile. "I know, but it will make me feel better." I give him a reassuring kiss and walk up to the house.

Right as I am about to step onto the porch, Tristan's mother opens the doors and steps out. "You're not welcome here." She states with disgust in her voice.

"That much is obvious." I snidely reply.

"Then get your filthy selves off my property."

"Oh, I will. But not until you listen to what I have to say."

"That will not be happening."

"Yes, in fact, it will. Even if the men behind me have to restrain both you and your husband, you will at least hear my words, whether or not you listen will be up to you."

"Fine. Speak."

"First, I would like to express my condolences." She looks at me like I have three heads and I explain. "For the loss of your heart and your son. I feel sorry for you that you are so petty that you shun your only child because he's a homosexual. Which is something he cannot help, nor something that he can change. I feel sorry for you that you are so unhappy with your life that you cannot bear to see your son happy. He is a brilliant person, with a warm and caring heart, one that you will never again be touched by because it is easier for you to separate yourself than to accept him for the wonderful person he is."

Trowa's mother attempts to say something and I interrupt. "I'm not finished." I flash her a triumphant smirk and continue. "I feel pity for you pathetic people because your hatred runs so deep that you can't even put on a show of happiness. Your son has managed to land the richest and most eligible bachelor in all the world and colonies, and your hatred for us fags is so consuming that you can't even pretend to be happy for him. Imagine what my money could have gotten you, the parents of the man I love. I'll leave what that could have been up to your imagination." I practically sneer the last bit. I hate having to speak like that, but I do not think anything else would have been heard.

Now, time to switch gears you bitch. Never, ever mess with Quatre Winner! "Now for the business end of your decision." I begin in the coldest and most calculating voice I have. "You are to never approach your son again. If he wishes to contact you, he will, but you are to never initiate contact yourselves." I reach into my back pocket and pull out a small bill-fold and remove my business card. Yes, despite my wish to not be part of the business just yet, I have a card and a secretary. "You are going to collect all of Tristan's things and call this number, my secretary will arrange to have his things picked up and returned to Sanc. If she does not hear from you in a week, I will send some of my guard here and they will make sure all of his things are collected and sent back to Sanc."

I hand her my card and despite being slightly stunned she takes it without a word. "You have lost all rights to be part of your son's life and if you ever try to take him away from me again I will make sure you will regret all the things you did to him. And from the look of it, that list is fairly impressive and not all of it legal."

Her eyes narrow. "Is that a threat Mr. Winner."

"No, Mrs. Barton. That is a promise. And only a fool would take on the Winners." I make to turn away. "Oh, and if you intend on following through with disinheriting your son, please send any paperwork to the address on the card so that my lawyers may look at it. Good day." With that, I turn and walk back to the car and my boyfriend.

"Now I'm ready to go." I announce.

"What did you tell her?"

I lean in and kiss him. "I'll tell you everything later." I grab his hand and start walking backwards to the car. "Let's go home Trowa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There 'may' be some timeline issues, but I'm not sure. I have a master timeline for all of the College Days verse (which is actually huge and will probably never be completed)


	20. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: More Homophobic language/behaviour from parents  
> Overlaps with the prior chapter a bit

(Trowa PoV)

I set my sights on the door; it had always seemed welcoming in the time that I remember, but now the door looks cold and uninviting. Maybe it is because I know that I am no longer welcome at this house and that scares me the most. I had asked my mother if it would be alright to stop by and say hello since I am accompanying a friend who has business in Boston. So, it wasn't entirely a lie, we did have business in Boston. She sounded happy that I would be coming for a visit even if we hadn't parted on the best of terms when I left for school in Sanc. I can only hope that she will still be happy to see me when she finds out that Quatre is the friend with business in Boston.

Before I fully realize it, we're standing in front of the door and Quatre is squeezing my hand reassuringly. I think he's about as nervous as I am, so it isn't the most comforting of gestures. But, I am glad for his presence next to me as it helps to keep me from turning around and avoiding this confrontation. I take a deep breath, squeeze Quatre's hand back, letting him know that I am 'okay' and knock on the door.

Several very uncomfortable moments pass and I am just about to raise my hand to knock again when the door opens and I see my mother smiling pleasantly at me. That is, until she opens the door further and sees Quatre.

Next to me, my boyfriend whispers, "Dear Allah," under his breath and I know I have my answer. Between the look of hatred in my mother's eyes and Quatre's whispered prayer, I am certain that they know each other. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this development, but I don't really have the time to reflect on it right now.

My mother opens the screen door and looks from me to Quatre and then back to me and I can see in her eyes that what is about to come out of her mouth isn't going to be pleasant at all. "Tristan, what is this faggot doing here?" She spits and I feel sick.

I fight the urge to vomit by setting my resolve firmly in place. Clenching my hands into fists at my side I reply as civilly as possible. "So you know him?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Now get that trash off my property."

At this point she's only said two things and I'm sure that if I had eaten more this morning I would be puking it all up. Never have I heard my mother speak in such a way. She has always been awkward and a little narrow minded, but I would have never thought she was this narrow minded.

"Fine. Quatre will go back to the car." I quickly glance over at my visibly shaken love for verification, he nods his head and then I look my mother in the eyes. "And you and father will answer my questions."

"We have to do no such thing." She replies in her most condescending tone.

"I'm your fucking son and I deserve answers." I barely contain my anger as I practically yell at her and all she does is snort and smiles snidely before shutting the door, that had once been welcoming, in our faces.

Without really thinking I grab Quatre's hand as if it were my lifeline and walk back to the car with him. "What just happened?" He asks, his voice wavering as he does.

We stop moments later at the car and I gently caress both sides of Quatre's face and bring our foreheads together. "I don't know, but I need to find out." I whisper as I am on the verge of tears. "There is a folder in the large thin pocket in my backpack, it is the dossier that Heero had Rashid send him on Tristan Barton. Read it?" I beg him. "There was a bad accident right before my family moved here. I don't remember anything from my life in Sanc. So I need them to tell me why. Why they never told me anything. Though, from their reaction to you, I have a pretty good idea as to the why. Please be here when I get back." I ask desperately, praying to God that he won't leave me because all of this.

Then Quatre chuckles and for a moment I am confused. "Why would I leave the man I love… The man I have loved since I was thirteen; alone, far away from home with those people?" He motions to the house, but I don't take my eyes off of him. "Your mother looks like the woman I used to know, but her attitude and personality are completely foreign."

I want nothing more than to curl up into a little ball somewhere in a dark corner and cry. What the hell happened to my life? Why me? Why now? And a slew of similar questions run through my head, but are abruptly brought to a halt when Quatre's strong comforting arms pull me close and I wrap my arms around him and fist his shirt with both hands. "You have to do this, and when you're done, we'll leave this place and go home together and figure what little we need to figure out about us. Ok?" I relax a bit as he says this, not by his words, but by the feel of his lips and breath brushing my ear as he speaks. I feel a little trepidation at his words, but I guess we do have things that we, as a couple, need to talk about.

I nod and pull back enough to capture Quatre's lips in a needy kiss. "Come get me if I'm not out after a hour." I try to keep the words light with a tinge of humor for both our sakes, but the tears that keep threatening do not do much in the way of making things any better.

Quatre lets out a genuine laugh. "I'll send Rashid in, but I'll follow. He's scarier than I am."  
That makes me grin in earnest and I silently thank him for finding the right response to something that I should probably be very worried about. "Wish me luck."

"Always." He kisses me, and once we're done, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, turn around and walk towards the door. My steps are slow and deliberate and I find myself counting each one, maybe so I'll know how many it is going to take me to get back to Quatre, though, I doubt I'll be walking back to him when this is all said and done with. I think it will be more like flying towards him.

The three small steps up to the porch seem like mountains and they are the three hardest steps I have ever taken in my life. Missing memory or not, I know this through and through. This house contains the only two people who can fill in the holes in my memory and answer the questions I so desperately need to have answered.

I pause momentarily before reaching for the door to gather what wits I have remaining together. I cannot help but look over my shoulder at Quatre, who gives me a reassuring nod and I fight the urge to rush back and fall into his arms. Turning my attention back to the door so as to not entertain thoughts of escaping the truths inside, I open the screen door and then try the main door, hoping my mother wasn't cruel enough to lock the door. Luckily, she wasn't, which means that I don't have to go fumbling for my house keys, and I quickly slip inside and close the door without turning around.

The house is silent. I'm not sure what I was expecting. Part of me was hoping that she would be standing there all ready to get up in my face, now I am not even sure when she and my father are. Though, I'm fairly sure he's going to stay quite during the conversation. For as long as I can remember, which isn't all that long, she's called the shots and he's carried out her orders without hesitation. The only time he's ever done anything on his own is when it had just been me and him, then he had no problems expressing his thoughts to me.

I push my bangs behind my ear and run my finger over the almost invisible scar next to my right eye that my father had so lovingly given me when he did a number on my face with several impressive left hooks. I'm not sure which reaction I preferred when I told them I had been accepted to Sanc University. My father's, who remembered his college boxing days by taking shots at my head, or my mother berating. It didn't make any sense back then why they didn't want me to go back there so badly. But now, now it seems fairly obvious. They didn't want me to go back because they feared what has happened would happen. That I would go back to Sanc and find Quatre and my memories.

Well, I've found Quatre. Now I need help finding my memories. As I look around half seeking my parents and half seeking something that might be a piece to a puzzle that I don't know what the full picture looks like, my eyes catch a photograph on the fireplace mantle. Stepping so lightly that not even the old Massachusetts house can betray my location, I approach the mantle and as soon as the photo comes into focus a soft gasp escapes my throat.

It is a picture from a dance, one that I can't remember, but I would bet all that I have that it is Quatre's eighth grade spring dance by how old I look. I am standing there in a nice suit under an arch of balloons with a cute raven haired girl, whom I have no doubt is Hilde. I pick up the picture and look at the girl closer, noting that Hilde was even cuter with her hair longer.

I hold onto the picture and look around for anything more that might be fodder for getting my parents to talk and decide that there isn't anything else around. In fact, there is nothing else in the house that would even hint to a visitor that the Barton's actually have a son. The picture of Hilde and I at the dance is the only one I see of me. Maybe they had pretty much written me off when I went back to Sanc. God, that sends a chill through my body.

Continuing the search for my parents, I quietly walk through the living room, into the dining room and into the kitchen, where my quest to find them ends. They are in the middle of the kitchen and are staring at me intensely as I walk in and stop abruptly. There is something incredibly unsettling about the fact that they have chosen the kitchen, of all places, to set up camp. A moment of panic courses through my body as I try recall all the location of anything that could be used to kill me in this room and I have this horrible feeling that I've walked into a death trap.

My father sits in one of the kitchen chairs while my mother stands behind him and slightly to the side, her left hand resting on his shoulder. None of us seem to be willing to make the first move. My father seems disinterested in the whole situation and it is really a battle of wills between myself and my mother.

I lock eyes with her and she smirks, as if she knows something that I don't, which she does and that allows her to have the upper hand in the conversation. I take the initiative and begin the conversation, hopefully steering it towards the truth and away from the web of lies and deceit I've been tangled in for the last few years.

"How do you know Quatre?" I ask, figuring it was a good starting place.

"It is hard not to know about him." My mother replies, obviously trying to be elusive in her answer.

"But you have actually met him, which is completely different from knowing about him. You admitted it back on the porch that you knew him."

She set her jaw and I could see her hand tighten on my father's shoulder. So tight, that he actually flinches. Then he sighs and hangs his head for a moment, before shaking it and raising it again. "Martha, tell him." I thought for a moment he was on my side, until he adds, "So we can get him out of this house and back to his perverted little friends." So much for being on my side. I think I would have laughed at his little comment in different context. My friends are fairly perverted people, but in that harmless way, not the derogatory way my father means.

"We were so proud of you once." She started angrily.

"Once?" I should have let her continue without interrupting, but it just slipped out.

"Yes, once you perversion on nature." A wave of nausea hits me. "I can't believe I gave birth to someone like you. We had such great hopes for you." She sneered. "You were musically and physically gifted, seemed to be dating a nice pretty girl and had a friend like Quatre Winner. We were the envy of the entire neighborhood. We never questioned why you stayed over at his house, since you would tell us you were practicing. And the solos you two would play together showed that you had at some point practiced together."

Her eyes fill with tears, and I can only assume at the memory she's thinking back to those 'good' days. "And then one night, your father and I went out for dinner and decided to take a walk around the park afterwards. We saw you there." She whispers angrily, and I am willing to bet my life that she saw Quatre and I together, but I wait for her to tell me. "We saw you and your faggot friend kissing. And you were with others who were doing the same." Probably Heero and Duo. "We thought we must have seen wrong, but when you did it again, we knew that we didn't and we knew we had to get you as far away from your abnormal 'friends' as possible so that you could go back to being a good boy, who liked girls."

"It doesn't work like that. You both should know that." I try to reason with them. Why? I don't know, but I have to try.

"So you're father pulled some strings and got transferred to a satellite office, here." She continues on as if she hadn't heard me. "And then you were injured in the car accident. It was perfect." My eyes go wide. Did she really just say that the car accident was perfect? "God answered our prayers and you didn't remember a single thing about your life prior to the accident." She really did say it was perfect. What kind of twisted person wants that for her child? Why did I have to be that child? I feel so very alone at this moment.

"So we pulled a few more strings and got you over here before you really had a grasp on what was going on. We had our son back, and not some perverted creature."

"I had dreams." My voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, those filthy dreams." She spat. "We hadn't expected you to remember anything. So we gave you the explanation that would wipe all memory of him away."

"So you lied. You lied about everything." My voice starts out soft with disbelief and ends screaming.

"No, we told you the truth as it should be." What the fuck? I can't believe that she believes this crap, but the look in her eyes tells me she's gone to whatever safe place she has inside of her to hide.

"There is no 'how it should be.' Those are lies. The truth is that I was gay and fucking another guy." I scream at them. "That's why you didn't want me to go back to Sanc, isn't it? You didn't want to risk the chance of me running into Quatre or my other friends. You didn't want me anywhere near anything that might remind me of who I was before the accident."

"No, Tristan. We want you to be happy, and being a perversion isn't the way to be happy." She smiles, her voice eerily sweet. She really believes what she is saying. How could I have missed this about her? "So we took you away and gave you a fresh start."

"Was it worth it?" They look at me as if they don't know what I am talking about. "Was all of this worth it? I still turned out the same, even with my past gone. I still found my way back to Sanc and I found Quatre again, fell in love with him again." Tears roll down my face and I grab the front of my shirt as if it is restricting my breathing.

"You're not in love. You are just confused. Come back home, there are plenty of nice girls who would love to go out with you." I wonder what kind of world she has been living in.

"Are you insane?" The words slip through my lips before I can stop then, and her eyes narrow, but I continue on before she says anything. "I am not confused. I never stopped being in love with him. I saw him walking across the campus and I did what I never did before and I followed him. I was so drawn to him that I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I felt like a stalker. I felt dirty."

"You are dirty." She interjects and I ignore her.

"But I needed to be with him, and everything just seemed to keep falling into place perfectly to bringing us together. We fell in love with each other all over again, like we were meant to be together. People lose their perfect love all the time, and then spend the rest of their life looking for someone who will even come close to that person they lost. Quatre and I lost each other, but we found each other again. I am not giving that up ever again. "

"If you chose him over us, you are no longer our son." My father finally speaks.

My jaw drops for a moment. "You would disinherit me because I am in love with a man."

"Yes," is his simple reply.

"You are an embarrassment to us, and we will not have it." My mother elaborates. "If you chose to go back to Sanc now, and be with him, then you are no longer our child."

"I am your flesh and blood. How can you even say that?" Is this really and truly happening?

"You leave Sanc, come back home, find a nice girl and settle down; we will pretend that none of this ever happened." She says, all smiles again.

I look at my father and he nods, signaling that he agrees with my mother and I cannot do anything but stare at them in disbelief. "You would have me betray everything that I am, so that you can continue to live in your shiny happy world of lies." They don't say anything and I take that as a yes. "Then no, I won't betray who I am and if that means being disinherited, then that is what it means." As I say that, I feel some part of me die. Some part of me that should never have to die, just did, and I can't stop the tears running down my cheeks. "Since I know you can't love the real me, then I am going to go to people that love me for who I am. Love me because I am Tristan Barton and could care less about what gender I choose to fuck."

"Then leave this house and never come back. From this moment forward you are no longer welcome here."

I fight to hold back the sobs, this isn't happening. "You really mean that?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, now leave." My mother's eyes turn to stone; my father doesn't even look me at me. He keeps his eyes on the floor.

"Fine." I nod, repeating 'fine' quietly as the entire conversation replays in my mind. There is no fight left in me. I know there is no changing their minds and there is nothing more for me to do than to leave. So I do.

With careful steps, I back away from them, tears still wetting my cheeks, watching them until I feel my feet hit the carpet in the dining room. I don't trust them. I don't trust them not to do something horrible if I turn my back. So I don't, not until I can't see them anymore, and then with quick steps I make for the door and out of the house.

I don't quite realize Quatre is there until his arms are around me and his body is pressed close to mine. I wrap my arms around him in return and hold him tightly so he doesn't disappear.  
"Went that well?" He asks, and I can hear that he's trying to lighten the mood.

The laugh that escapes my lips is bitter, and I regret it the moment it does because I shouldn't be taking this out on Quatre. I pull away from him just enough to be able to see into those beautiful blue eyes "Well, I guess being disinherited is better than being dead."

"Disinherited?" He frowns as he repeats it.

"Yes, I am too old to disown." I take a deep breath, and exhale slowly as I try to find a sort of calm. The ever-so-gently breeze reminds me that I have been crying and I try to wipe them away with my hand. "Can we get out of here now? I'll tell you what happened when we are far away from this place."

Quatre nods to me, stops, then frowns. "I'll be right back." He looks back to Rashid and gestures to the house, Rashid nods and he and Auda get out of the car.

"Where are you going?" I ask, not liking what I am seeing.

"To tell your parents off." Quatre says, as if it the most logical thing in the world and pulls away from me. I immediately miss his body next to mine.

"Quatre it won't do any good. I can guarantee they aren't the people you once knew." My attempt at reasoning, I don't want to be here any longer.

Quartre offers me a sad smile. "I know, but it will make me feel better." Then with a soft kiss he tries to assure me that he knows what he is doing and turns and walks to the house.

I walk back to the car and lean against it, watching Quatre talk to my mother. I choose not to listen, as I do not know if I could truly take hearing her speak again. After a few minutes, he comes walking back, my mother is looking rather stunned holding something I can't quite see. Though, Quatre seems fairly pleased with himself and I walk to meet him halfway.  
"Now I'm ready to go." He announces.

"What did you tell her?"

He leans in and kisses me. "I'll tell you everything later." Quatre takes my hand and starts walking backwards to the car. "Let's go home Trowa."

If I could express the relief I feel with those words I would. But I can't, all I know, is that, though a part of me died in that house, the part of me that hopes for something better grows a little stronger at.


	21. Flying High

(Quatre's PoV)

I wish there was a way to describe the feelings emanating from my boyfriend as we walk hand in hand away from the only home he can remember right now.

He keeps looking over his shoulder as we walk to the car where Rashid and Auda wait. I can only assume he's hoping that his parents will realize the mistake they have made and come rushing back out for him. Though, I am very certain he knows that will not happen. Simply imagining what just happened to Trowa, happening to me, makes my blood run cold. Yet, mixed in with the disparity of just having severed ties to the family, is a sense of relief.

"You ok?" I ask quietly.

He laughs, a bit bitterly and I realize that it is a stupid question to ask. Of course he's not ok, he's just found out that he's missing more of his life than he realized at first, and he's just found out that what he was recalls has been warped and twisted to make him something he isn't.

Trowa doesn't answer, not yet at least, and we walk to the car and get in. As I buckle the seat belt, I look him over. The almost calm facade he had worn to the car is now gone and replaced with wide-eyed shock. "Practically, everything that I know is a complete and utter lie."

"Seatbelt." I mutter softly and he reaches to his side and secures the belt across his body, all the while staring straight ahead.

My boyfriend, the man I have been in love with since I was thirteen, vigorously rubs his face with the heels of his palms as I start the car. "Although, so many things make so much more sense now." I glance at him as I put the car in drive, foot on the brake waiting for Rashid to pull out in front of me, and say nothing to Trowa, knowing that he will tell me when he's ready. "I had images of making love to you. I remember the emotions and your golden hair. It blazed in my mind, and I thought once I had a face and a gender, but my parents had already formulated a story to make me doubt that memory. As I would describe what I saw they told me about the girl they made up to replace you."

A long breath escapes his lips and he closes his eyes, I only assume to collect his thoughts some more. "Tristan..." he starts and corrects himself, "I, never told them about us. I was able to get out of them that they saw us kissing somewhere, and Duo and Heero were there with us too. 'We had to remove you from your faggot friends.'" He says the last bit in a lower voice, and I assume he's quoting his father, and I wince, but say nothing.

"I didn't even know I was actually from Sanc until I was getting ready to go to school and needed my official documents to get visas and a passport, only to find out that I didn't actually need them. My parents didn't bother with American citizenship, they just keep getting their visa's extended. I got that the only reason they are over here was to get me on a continent you weren't on, thinking that if they remained in Sanc, we might run into each other again and I would remember everything. They thought that they could make me straight." He laughs softly and I glance over at him — careful to mind the road since Rashid had started driving while Trowa talked — to see a soft, content smile on his face. "Boy, they were wrong...I'm glad they were wrong." I reach over and give his hand a reassuring squeeze. "That's why they got so mad at me when I said I was trying for Sanc University, they knew that the likelihood of me running into you was rather high, and they didn't want that."

His thumb gently makes little circles over my knuckles and out of the corner of my eye, I see him look down to our hands. "Are you mad?" His voice is quiet and directed towards his lap and not me.

"Trowa, why would I be mad?" He shakes his head and looks at me, his green eyes full of held back tears. I don't think I could keep myself from crying if I were in his place. "Every person I dated after you left was lacking, something about them would just never fill that place in my heart that you're leaving left." It is my turn to laugh a little bitterly. "I even compared you, to you. Though, I was getting to the point where you were surpassing the memory of your teenage self. I'm lucky that I can reconcile those the two and make them one. I looked at the file, and by the looks of it, I'd say that I'm lucky that you made it through the accident with only 'relatively' minor reconstructive surgery and memory loss. Though, I am extremely mad at your parents for depriving you of all your memories, all of your friends, your love." I look away from the road quickly and flash him a goofy 'I'm in love' grin and turn back before I do something stupid like drive off of it.

"Is it ok for you to call me Trowa? I'd rather not be called Tristan anymore. Or Barton for that matter, but I'll deal with that."

Allah, I resist offering up my last name, since the ramifications of even mentioning that at this moment are a little overwhelming. Though, the dream I had when I was fifteen, the dream that someday I would marry Tristan, all the sudden looks like it could become reality. I know I am jumping things a tad, but what had been impossible this morning, was suddenly possible. "I think it would be odd for me to call you Tristan now. Tristan is the younger you, Trowa is you now, and that is how I found you. I'm perfectly happy to oblige and call you Trowa."

"Thank you." He squeezes my hand tightly and relaxes. "Heero knew. He had read the file before he gave it to me the night of the pre-wedding party. I didn't know he had read it until I went to visit them on the day I had enchiladas, but he knew. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before we came here; I needed to know, needed to see your reaction to my parents, and theirs to you. I was so afraid that I was going to lose everything by doing this." He lets go of my hand and runs both hands through his light brown, silken hair. "I lost my family, but, oddly, I think I'm ok with that. But if I had lost you, and everyone I believe are my friends, I don't know what I would have done. To lose everyone, everything twice seems like it would be too much to bear."

"Trowa, you aren't going to lose us. In fact, I think everyone will be happy that you have returned." I pause and debate for a split second on whether I should mention anything about restoring his lost memories, part of me says I should wait, but the other part says it shouldn't. "Do you want your memories back?" My voice is quiet.

I am not exactly sure what he is going to say, in my mind there are only two answers, yes and no. "I don't know." He answers, and I was not expecting that, which is obvious because I know I look confused.

He takes a deep breath and, I assume, organizes his thoughts. "I want them; I want to know about who I was, about us, about what we had, what I had. But, at the same time, I don't want them. I don't want to remember what my parents were like before they found me kissing you. I think it would make it harder to truly be ok with not having them as part of my life anymore."

A sad smile crosses my lips. "I don't think my sisters, or the medical genius' they know, could pick and choose what you remember. They could help you unlock memories, but I don't think there is the option to restore certain files. You don't have to make up your mind now. In the end it doesn't really matter. What matters is that you are here, with me, and we are on our way home."

"Home." Not exactly a question, not exactly a statement, more like a memory, and a happy one at that, if the wistful smile on his lips says anything. "It is funny, I consider that little apartment on campus more of a home than the house we just left behind."

"Funny, in that tragic sort of way, but it makes sense that you feel at home in Sanc. It _is_ your homeland. You just didn't know it until a little bit ago." He nods and then goes quiet, staring out of the window as I drive.

We travel the rest of the way to the airport in comfortable silence. I know that he needs time to think things through, so I let him think. I hope he chooses to work on unlocking the past. It seems like he's being cheated of so many things by keeping them locked up. There is always the possibility that now the truth has been revealed his mind will start to heal on its own, but I think someone could help the process along.

Finally, ahead of me, Rashid signals and turns down the road leading to the private airstrip we are using. I park the car next to the head of my guard had been driving and two men in black emerge from a third car parked on the tarmac. Rashid hands the keys over to one of the men and I hand mine over to the other. I look over at my jet and see the fuel tanker disconnecting and one of my men doing a final look over to make sure everything was in place and ready for takeoff. Trowa walks next to me and I take his hand in mine. He gives me a gentle smile and we drop our hands just long enough to climb the steps onto the plane. I glanced at my watch and it was several minutes before noon. I groaned, eight hours in the air and then back to our normal time zone, would make it two in the morning when we land, and then we had to get home to our beds. Maybe we'll stay on the plane another night.

"What's the matter?" Trowa asks as he sits down in the seat he had sat in on the way over.  
"It is going to be about two our time when we land." I explain as I sit down next to him and fasten my seat belt.

"We don't have to drive back, we could always just play hooky tomorrow and sleep in." He gives me a mischievous smile.

"We could." There is the loud thud and I turn to see one of my guards closing and securing the cabin door.

"We are going to be taking off momentarily, Master Quatre."

I nod. "Thank you."

Next to me Trowa shakes his head. "It is weird to hear people call you 'master.' It is going to take some getting used to."

I chuckle. "It isn't that bad, well, not unless I go home and then it is really bad. Everyone is really polite at the big house."

"I'll remember that." He says with a wink and that startles with the sound of the engines and the cabin beginning to pressurize. "This doesn't bother you at all, does it?"

"Flying?" He shakes his head yes. "Nope, not in the slightest. All my men are licensed to fly all Winner aircrafts, The plane itself is the best there is, and we have everything we need if we have to abandon ship." I shrug. "And sometimes it feels like I fly more than drive. I'm just used to it."  
He nods, takes my hand in his and rests his head on my shoulder. "Trowa?" I am confused by what is his doing.

He lets out a deep breath. "I'm not used to it yet." And I realize that his actions corresponded to plane taxiing.

I cannot help but smile. "We'll talk more when we've leveled off." Trowa nods his head, still resting on my shoulder, and I lean back and kiss the crown of his head.

Takeoff is smooth as usual and in not too long a time we reach cruising altitude. Rashid's voice comes over the intercom and in Arabic he tells me that the skies are clear and we should make good time back to Sanc. He also apologizes for speaking in our native tongue with Trowa on board, but he wanted to let me know that he and his men would only interrupt if we asked. I pushed the intercom button on the wall and thank him for everything.

Trowa is looking at me, waiting for his translation and I couldn't help but smile. "Rashid says that the skies are clear and we should have a smooth, uneventful flight. And they will only bother us if we request anything of them." I unbuckle myself and stand up, stretching as I do. "Come on. We've got sleeping quarters on board." I offer my hand, which he takes after freeing himself of his belt.

I guide him back to the room and slide the door closed. When I turn to look at him, my gut tightens and I try not to act on primal needs. I fail spectacularly, as I wrap my left arm around his waist and my right hand slinks though his hair to cradle where his neck meets his head, pulling him as close as possible for a crushing kiss. His body tenses for a mere moment and then his arms wrap mimic my hold on him and backs me into the bulk head. I hit harder than expected and a small sound emanates from my throat. "Sorry." He says before returning his lips to mine.

There is no way to describe these heated, passionate kisses. It is like, the invisible barrier we had both built up to protect ourselves is crashing down around us and we can truly touch each other again. Feel each other again. Even in my euphoric haze I find it funny that we had our shields up. Me, because I didn't want to get hurt and used again and him, because of the uncertainty of his past and the fact that he was hiding something from me, even though he didn't fully realize it.

A whimper escapes my throat as he breaks the kiss. "I am ready to strip you naked and make love to you all the way home." His voice was breathy, laden with passion and need.

I playfully nip at his chin and he moans low and deep. "Me too, but before all that we've got to talk a little." He groans and leans into me, resting his head on the wall.

"You're right, though I haven't a clue at this moment what we need to talk about." Trowa mumble into the crook of my neck.

"Well, I want to tell you something before we go further, not that it is all that relevant, but I don't want to forget to say something and then have you find out from someone else." I gently push him off of me and walk over to the oversized chairs which can fully recline and be pushed together to form a double bed, Granted you had seat belt in your mattress, but it was better than nothing. I set the chairs up in bed form, grab some blankets from the linen locker and sit down, motioning him to join me.

"It can't be that bad." Trowa looks at me skeptically.

"Not bad, really. But it could be awkward."

He actually laughs at that. "It doesn't have anything to do with the kiss you and Duo shared right before we caught our planes. Does it?"

My mouth opens to say something, and then nothing comes out. "Thought so." He kisses my parted lips and I snap out of it.

"What?" I know I look really confused.

"You slept with Duo, maybe even Heero too."

I stutter a bit, how did he know? "How?" I seem to have lost all ability to speak more than one word.

"I'm right?" He looks a little shocked and I nod. "And how." He shrugs. "Duo and Heero both said some stuff about past boyfriends and I got the feeling from you that you had didn't actually sleep with any of them. And _I_ couldn't imagine not having any for four years. I seemed logical, that they would offer some sort of safe outlet as they seem pretty united on keeping you safe and happy and, for the most part, they appear pretty secure in each other. Then I saw the kiss that Duo gave you right before we caught our plans. It was one of those tender, parting kisses you see in movies. Like the end of something that had been. A goodbye."

Some of my voice returns. "I've kissed Duo before and it didn't have anything to do with sex."

"Quatre, I don't care." He smiles and I am utterly confused. "I'm sorry I couldn't have been there for you though, but I'm glad that you did have people to help you through it."

"Trowa." I put my hand on his shoulder and pull him down onto the 'bed' and to me. "I got to the point where I stopped trusting everyone that hadn't already been my friend. I'll tell you more about them, but not now. I don't want to talk about them now." I can't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks and I pull him close to me. "Allah, I have missed you so much. And I hate your parents for taking you away from me, for making my life miserable for all the years in between. I thought, when you didn't contact me after you moved. You hated me. That what we had didn't mean a single thing to you. I didn't handle that so well." I try to laugh through my tears and it just sounds pathetic.

"I missed you too, I didn't realize how much until all of this came out in the open. But I know that you were the first thing I remembered from my life before the accident, and one of the first things that they repressed. I swear to you that I will not leave you unless you tell me too."

Those words do it and I capture his lips. "And I swear to you I will not tell you to leave." Not exactly marriage vows, but the words hold the same power of me. A promise for the future, that if we are ever separated it was not because either of us wanted it to be. Some would argue that this was not the best time to make vows like that to each other, when we are so emotionally controlled, but I really don't see a difference. Any time you make a vow to another person, and truly mean it, I don't think you could keep emotion out of it, especially when we're talking about relationships and being in love.

Trowa rolls onto his back, pulling me with him and practically forcing me to straddle his waist. He reaches his hand up and cups my cheek. "Make love to me." He pleads and I momentarily consider not doing it. Just because he's been through a roller coaster ride of emotions and I don't want this to be the safety net that catches him. "Make love to me because we have wanted to for weeks now and haven't because the unknown stood between us." He smiles. "Make love to me Quatre Winner, because you're not going to be rid of me."

I laugh. "You're right. I've wanted to make love to you since we first kissed." I lean over and kiss him gently.

"Me too." We meet in another heated kiss, tongues battling, exploring, figuring out what has changed since we last made love together. He's a better kisser now than he was then, that is for sure.

I'm only aware of the fact that my shirt is being pulled off because he tugs none too gently on it in order to get me to raise my arms. We break our kiss just long enough for me to finish pulling my shirt off and him to do the same. The feel of his skin beneath my hands makes me break the kiss so I can taste his skin, to kiss it, caress it and make it mine. It isn't something that we haven't already done before. No, we've explored each other's bodied quiet thoroughly already, but this is different. I can't explain why it is different. It shouldn't be, but maybe I want to relearn Tristan as Trowa. Because I am allowed to compare the two now. I get to compare my memory of my love then and revel in what time has changed in him. What he has become in our years apart. I get to revel in the fact that he is mine, as I am his, and I will not be letting him go again.

His skin tastes different as I re-explore his chest and arms as his fingers curl into my hair. There was a sweetness about his skin back then, but it has been replaced by something musky. A masculine scent that fills my senses and makes me drunk. There is a lingering taste of that sweetness I had thought I had forgotten, but I like how he tastes and smells now.

I am very happy to find that all that spots that made Trowa squirm with pleasure when he was younger, still make him writhe beneath my touch. Make his breath hitch in his chest and cause him to whimper softly, all the while pushing his body to meet my touch, begging for more. As I move lower I see the top of the scar from where he had his appendix removed. I sit up, so that only my knees touch the side of his hips. I shimmy back a few inches and undo his pants, pulling them down just enough to reveal the entire scar. I run my hands over his smooth belly and bend over to kiss the scar.

"I was there when your appendix burst in orchestra rehearsal. I was so scared, and insisted that I ride with you to the hospital. I refused to leave until I knew you had made it out of surgery all right. And even then, Rashid ended up carrying me out when I finally fell asleep. I was such a naive thirteen year old."

"I probably was too." I lick across his belly, more so to see his reaction while trying to talk. He gasps and arches his back. I grin and take this little break to divest myself, and him, of what clothing we have left on. I take extra care undressing Trowa and caress his skin as it is shown to me.

"All the way?" I make sure, not that I wasn't sure before I asked, but I was giving him a chance.

Trowa chuckles. "I do believe I asked you to make love to me."

"No lube." I state.

"What did we use as alternatives?"

I frown. "We really didn't have to worry about that. My sister smuggled goods to us. The guy she's married to now ran a porn shop for a while before they got together. They knew each other in school, met while he was working on his second PhD, and she really wanted him to work with her. He wasn't ready for a life of research and ran away and hid in a place he thought her least likely to find him in." I chuckle. "Little did she know that the store she walked into was run by him." I lightly drag my nails over his skin and think. "Mild liquid soap might do it. I can't guarantee how long it will stay slick though. And I don't want it to hurt."

"We really didn't have to worry about it?" I shook my head 'yes.' "Where the stories about sex in the bathrooms at school true?"

I laugh, and purr. "Oh, very true. Some of the hottest sex we have ever had. But we both always had a stash with us." I nip the inside of his thigh. "Heero and Duo had a hard time keeping up with us, and they've slowed down a bit since then." I let him work that over in his head.

"You have got to be kidding me." He says in disbelief, while sporting a very large grin.

"Not at all."

He shook his head, still trying to imagine that much sex. "I really don't know how your parents managed to be oblivious the entire time we dated. We fucked like rabbits. Never at your house, but you didn't always shower after we were done. We had to have both smelled like sex. But at the same time, after today's events, I don't know if they really would know what sex smells like." I muse.

"I don't think they did. And I'm willing to chance soap." He grins.

"It's your ass." I give him a cocky grin.

"I expect you take good care of me."

I kiss him. A long, gentle, sensual kiss. "I promise to make this as pleasurable as possible." I go to the medicine closet and poke around until I find something that looks like it might work and a bottle of water. "Part of me is glad neither of us is prepared. Means we weren't expecting it."

I kneel between his legs and position him in the best possible way. "I feel silly." He mutters.

"You won't in a moment. Trust me." He picked his head up the 'bed' to protest, but before he could say anything I go down on him. That very nicely handles and protesting him might try.

I settle into a nice slow pace and prepare him. Our makeshift lube works for the most part, but I need to add a bit of water to the mix to keep the soap slippery. For some reason I always enjoy this part. I love being able to see what a little tiny movement of my finger does to his self control. But then again, self control be damned if you've got a person who knows what they are doing playing with your prostate.

He writhes in front of me, and it is the most erotic and beautiful thing in the world. Ok, one of the most beautiful things in the world. The guttural, primal scream as he comes and pants my name afterwards is about as wonderful as it gets for me. I like knowing that I did that.

"Are you waiting for something?" He manages between deep breaths.

"Mmm, no not really. I'm just admiring. Enjoying your looks while I play with you. But if you insist." I say and realize I am extremely nervous about what I am about to do.

"Quatre, please." He rolls his head to the side and begs me with bright, practically glowing, green eyes.

All I can do is nod and prepare myself with the right mix of soap and water that I hope will give the best lubrication. I take a deep breath and position myself between his legs, and with all the patience I have left I slowly push in. I watch his face for signs of pain, but I don't see any and continue to push in I can't any further. "Hurt?"

"No, feels odd, but doesn't hurt." I pull out just a little and angle my hips differently and he breathes in quickly, tosses his head back while letting out a low, sexy moan.

"Do that again." Trowa pants and I gladly oblige.

Allah, I missed making love to him. I missed the feel of his body against mine. I missed him. And now I have him, beneath me, joined with me and he is my world.

Unfortunately, neither of us manages to last too long. It doesn't take long to bring him to completion again, just a few rough strokes and uncoordinated thrusts. Seconds later I'm losing it and fireworks explode in my vision. I fall forward, landing on my hands, which are resting on either side of his head and wait for the colors dissipate. When they do I look at him, looking at me with a content smile on his face. "That was beautiful." He whispers and props himself up so we can kiss. I pull out and crawl up next to him and wrap my limbs around him.

"So how do you want to spend the rest of the flight home?" I ask with a mischievous grin.

"I don't think you really need to ask that." He replies with a soft bite to my shoulder.

"No, not really." With that, our energy returns and we continue reacquainted with each other's bodies.

I can't tell you how long and how many times we make love on the plane. But it gets to the point where we are both too sore to do anything more and too exhausted to even want to try. We haul ourselves over to the sink and use washcloths to clean up a bit before we pass out.

"We should get dressed." I mutter as I rinse out my wash cloth.

Trowa smiles sleepily. "We should." So we do, and curl up next to each other to sleep for the rest of the flight.

At this moment, as Trowa wraps his arms around me, I am the happiest person on Earth and the colonies. And no one, not even Duo and Heero, can persuade me otherwise.


	22. The Gangs All Here

(Quatre POV)

I would love to say I was a useful member of society between the time that Trowa and I arrived back in Sanc from our trip to Massachusetts to when Heero and Duo arrived back from their honeymoon. But that would be a lie, because I wasn't...at all.

Trowa decided on the Monday we got back from Massachusetts to get some help in finding his lost memories. I think my talking of the past made him really want to remember it. My oldest sister, pulled some strings and Trowa was able to get an appointment on Wednesday with the best neurologist for the job. Luckily, he is in Sanc, which makes things much easier. It is stressful enough not remembering anything, but having to travel any significant distance to a doctor would probably make it even more stressful.

Wufei called to check on me Tuesday when we didn't show up to run. I assured him everything was all right and that we'll tell everyone what happened when we're all back in Sanc. He seemed a little miffed about that, but I didn't want to tell the story lots of times, and I didn't want to tell it over the phone, since it is Trowa's story as much as mine.

Trowa and I made sure to show up for the morning run from then on. Zechs just kept smiling, but I think it is hard not to smile when you are around people who emanate joy and love. The golden prince didn't ask us a thing, save for how our flights went. Wufei probably told him that we wouldn't be telling anyone anything until Heero and Duo get back. Which is why we are getting ready to go clubbing; to celebrate their return and marriage.

Zechs owns a club in the heart of Sanc's capitol city. I think he owns it because he can, than anything else, and we go there every once and a while to dance and have fun. We usually end up crashed in his private party room. And no, we don't do anything other than eat food, drink water, and pass out on the padded floor when we have danced all our energy away.

"Quatre, get dressed, we're going to be late." Trowa says as he throws a golden, almost sheer, top at me. I catch it and hold it up.

"Wait a minute. Don't act like it is my fault we're running late. You had plenty to do with it too." He gives me a wolfish grin and tosses a pair of leather pants at me, which I in turn toss onto the bed.

"What the hell is this?" I hold the 'shirt' up and look at it and frown when I can see Trowa through the thin fabric.

He laughs. "I found it in your things. It definitely isn't mine. And I can't see any of the other guys being able to pull that color off."

"It's see through." I whine.

He waggles his brow. "I know." He dives back into the closet and pulls out boots. "For clubbing?" He holds them out to me. "They look like it."

"Yes, for clubbing." I take the boots from Trowa. I'm not a big boot wearer, but they looked better with the leather than anything else did, so I went with them.

"Good, now get dressed." Trowa leaves my closet, gives me a quick kiss and goes to our bed where a pile of his clothes sit. And, yes, I did mean 'our bed.'

I nod my head obediently, but remain standing there, unmoving, just watching him getting dressed. He shimmies into his pair of low rise leather pants and I can't turn away. I've never seen him in these pants, but he looks delicious in them. They sit low on his hips, to an almost indecent level, but they hug his body like a second skin, so I doubt he's ever had any unwanted wardrobe fails with them. They have a button-up front, similar to mine, obviously those who made them understood that zippers were unkind if your pants leave no room for anything underneath.

"Quatre, dress." He orders and I try to pretend I wasn't staring at him.

Grumbling some nonsense, I do as told and walk over next to Trowa and pull my pants on. They aren't as tight as Trowa's, since I'm not really sure how he actually fit into his, but they don't bunch or slouch anywhere and they feel like a second skin. I look up from buttoning my pants closed and securing the decorative buckles to see my boyfriend standing there his black microfiber tank top on both arms, but not quite over his head. "You going to go clubbing like that." I ask with a seductive smile and run a finger from his abdomen to sternum and he moans softly, but pulls his shirt over his head. I move my hand as he pulls the shirt down.

"Why is it I feel like we can't make love enough?" He asks very seriously as he leans close.

"We're making up for the four years we've been apart." He nods, knowing that the answer is far more complicated than making up for lost time.

I snap out of quiet moment and realize I haven't pulled socks out yet, since I hadn't gone to the drawer to get underwear, and there was no way I was wearing my boots without them. Trowa is also putting his footwear on and, when I turn back after collecting socks, I stop and stare at him. The boots he has on are fucking beautiful, in that I'd actually consider letting him wear them while we are having sex, and I'm not really one for having any clothing on, because I like the feel of skin way too much. They are matte black knee high boots that look like they had been made for his legs. They lace up the sides and are secured further by black buckles, and I think the straps of the leather are embossed with some sort of design. They are beautiful on their own, but on him, they are drool worthy.

"How much did those cost."

Trowa chuckles and looks up at me, his hands still on one of the buckles. "About two thousand. I did a lot of clubbing Freshman and Sophomore year and I hated having to stop because my feet hurt. So I saved up and commissioned them. Don't regret doing it either. I have worn them so much that it has more than made up for how much I spent on them."

"I'm jealous now." I attempt to pout cutely.

"Quatre, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have a problem finding someone who would love to take your money to make you boots." He sits up and wiggles his foot about.

"Probably." I admit and sit next to him on the bed so I can put my boots on. "Though, they would probably mark them up for me, figuring I could afford to pay more."

He laughs at me. "Now you're just being cheap."

I harrumph. "Nothing wrong with that. Just because my family has more money than they know what to do with, doesn't mean I have to spend it frivolously."

Trowa rocks into my side and pushes me gently. "I know, but every once and a while you are allowed to be frivolous."

"Maybe." I make sure that I don't sound convinced and before I can process what is going on Trowa is pushing me back onto the bed, my feet barely touching the floor, and he's straddling my chest, his knees on either side of my body. How the hell is he doing that in those pants?

His lips are on mine before I can protest about being pushed back."I think you would look even sexier in your leather pants if you had boots like them." His voice is hoarse and I run my hands over his legs, feeling the smooth, warm leather. Then, without any warning he slides backwards off me and the bed. "That was not the smartest thing for me to do." His face is flushed red in embarrassment and there is a painful looking bulge in his pants.

"Think unsexy thoughts."

"With you standing there without a shirt, it is kinda hard. Actually, I don't think the shirt would make things better." He grimaces.

I grab my shirt and boots and walk out of the room. Then right at the door way I stop, smirk, turn around and say, "Doctor Hodgekins fucking Doctor Lidel." Trowa's face distorts into a look of absolute disgust and I bolt into the living room. Doctor Hodgekins, our psychology professor, has been nicknamed Jabba the Hut, for his likeness to slug creature in Star Wars. Doctor Lidel, our biology professor, is just ugly. In fact, she's often been mistaken for an extremely ugly man. She's sweet and brilliant, but was not blessed with any beauty.

Trowa makes a choking/gagging sound and comes staggering into the living room after me. "Oh god, Quatre, that is disgusting." He looks as if he's got a foul taste in his mouth, but the vision appears to have done the job. The giggles overcome me and I fall over the sofa laughing uncontrollably. "You are a sick, sick man." I'm laughing so hard that I'm crying. "Breath love. You're as red as a crayon."

I hold my hand out, he grabs it and pulls me up over the back of the sofa and into his arms. It is enough to stop my giggles, and the gentle kiss is enough to make them disappear completely. I pull away before it turns into something that would require us to conjure up more hideous visuals. "Love you." I say softly, gazing into his green eyes.

The side of his mouth curls up into a goofy, happy smile. "Love you too."

Just as we lean in to kiss again, my phone rings. "Shit." I bound over to it and answer. "Hi Duo ((you queers on your way?))...Yeah, we're on our way...((::chuckles:: You even dressed yet?)) mostly," I eye Trowa and he stifles a laugh." ((ok, then get down here, we want to hear everything))... We're leaving now. See you in a bit."

"Duo, by the sound of it?" Trowa asks as he picks the keys for the Rover off the rake and tosses them to me.

"Yeah." I look at the keys and then back to him.

"I don't want to have to get up out of a car." He makes a sweeping motion as if showing off his legs. "Less bending, they're not meant to do any of that."

"Ah, yes, good point." I sit on the arm rest and pull my boots and shirt on. Now that we're actually being missed, we should leave.

"Money? License?" Trowa asks and I grab my wallet off of the coffee table. It is nice being friends with the owner. No ID required to get in and we can keep valuables in the small safe in the private room so we can dance and not worry about something getting stolen.

We both make sure we have everything, which isn't much, and head out. The drive downtown isn't far, about 15 minutes from garage to inside the club. The exterior of the club is non-descript as if it doesn't want to be found. Nothing fancy, nothing that stands out, unless you know what you are looking for. There isn't even a name anywhere on the building that would imply that there were anything here at all, and Zechs likes it that way. He doesn't advertise the club, never has and never will, since he likes to control who comes in and who doesn't. He even tends to recruit three couples, gay, lesbian and straight to camp near the entrance and the bouncers watch those standing in line for any reaction; you show disgust for anyone of the couples making out, you are either a prude or aren't tolerant enough to be allowed in. I'm pretty sure he's prevented a lot of fights by weeding those people out before they get to the door.

We park between Heero's SUV and Wufei's bike. "Just the boys tonight?" Trowa asks as he slides out of the car.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" I grab my wallet and get out. When I hear both doors shut I arm the security system. As Trowa rounds the side of the Rover, I grab his hand and we walk towards the long line of people eagerly waiting to be admitted. I resisted the urge to make 'haha, I'm better than you' faces at those who would probably spend hours in line and never be granted entrance. The bouncer at the door greets us with a smile and allows us to pass inside without a word. There is a chorus of 'no fair' and other choice words and I can't help but giggle a little. Trowa tilts his head just a bit as if to ask what is so funny and I just shake my head. I'd probably be pretty pissed if I was standing on line and saw the bouncer let two people in without so much as a word to them or checking their ID, but at the same time, people like me always have a place in the owner's club, no matter how packed it is.

The interior of the club is the exact opposite of the exterior. It is almost classy, if you could have a classy dance club. The lights are low, but not so low that you would walk into someone or something. The walls are draped with velvet and silk, all dark colors, but done in a very artistic way, with warm colored lighting angled up into the folds of the silk and velvet to add a more dramatic mood.

The main dance floor is the dead center of the club. Off to the right is the bar and behind the bar are Zechs' private rooms. There are three more dance floors, one to the side and one to the back of the main dance floor and then one on the upper level. The upper level one had come to be where the ravers go to practice their skills with things that light up in the dark (glow sticks, balls and such). Most people stay away from there unless they feel brave and want to chance getting smacked in the face by a rouge glow stick. All dance floors are sound sealed from each other to prevent the music of one room bleeding into the next.

The main dance floor is textured marble, to prevent slipping when the floor becomes slick from sweat and drinks. Empty and with the lights on the place feels warm and inviting, full, with the lights dim, it feels almost primal and the pulsating music makes you want to act on animal instincts. It is certainly doing its job well as it is taking everything I have to not pull Trowa flush to me and move to the beat.

Any thought of dancing quickly leaves as we approach the bar. Duo, Heero, Zechs and Wufei stand in the corner. Heero is leaning against the bar, a bottle of water in one hand and Duo's braid in another. Duo appears to be bouncing, like he's very excited about something and produces a piece of paper from… I have no clue, seeing as he's wearing vinyl as tight as Trowa's leather and a black mesh 'shirt.' He unfolds it and hands it to Zechs. The prince looks at it, for a moment his brow furls and then he smiles and hands the paper to Wufei, who reads it and, for lack of a better way to describe it, freaks out.

Duo, looks incredibly proud of himself, as does Heero, and Wufei bolts behind the bar where he appears to be burning the piece of paper. Heero, puts his bottle behind the bar and starts reeling Duo back by his braid, slow enough that he doesn't fall backwards, but fast enough to make sure his husband isn't maimed by an angry Wufei. Zechs appears to be laughing as he fetches his love, who seems to be hyperventilating. I wonder what the hell was on that piece of paper to elicit that sort of reaction from 'Fei. As Trowa and I arrive within speaking range, Heero notices us first and nudges Duo to look in our direction.

Duo's face lights up, and he reminds me of a child who has just opened a box containing the gift they truly wanted, and he bolts towards us. He almost knocks me over as he tackles and hugs me. "Everything ok?" He says just loud enough for me to hear.

I can't help but beam. "Oh yeah."

He grins back and looks at Trowa. "Good to have you back Trowa. You've got a lot of catching up to do."

Trowa looks a little embarrassed. "I know. Working on it."

"Come on guys tell us your story and then we go dancing."

Duo turns around and heads back towards Heero and Zechs leads Wufei by the hand to the back room. I grin as I watch both couples lead the way, and I realize that I am truly happy. As sappy as it sounds, I really am. I glance at my love as we follow the other four, and he takes my breath away. He is beautiful in all imaginable ways and he's mine. I know that is a little creepy in how possessive it sounds, but he tried being other people's, like I tried to do the same, and we found out that it just didn't work.

Trowa and I have a long road ahead of us, but no couple is ever gets off the hook. It is just whether you choose to travel the road together or separately, and I know that someone is going to have to try awfully hard to pull us apart. I mean, we still found each other even after Trowa lost all his memories of our prior time together. I'm pretty sure that there is only thing that would have made sure we stayed apart, and that was to make sure one of us was dead, which is not something I choose to think about.

It is here that I will end my story. Oh, I'm sure more interesting things are bound to happen, and eventually, I think, Trowa and I will marry as well. Just not yet, we're going to work on getting him remembering what he has lost and get used to being with each other again. There will more than likely be other stories, but after this, I am no longer the storyteller. Thank you for listening.


End file.
